Little Prince
by Magiccatprincess
Summary: Little Prince, because that seems like the appropriate title for the son of the bandit king and the queen of the Tooth faries. Everything seemed perfect for the unusual family. That is until Jack st. North drowns and the Guardians withdraw no longer willing to interact children after their loss. Years later MiM asigns Jack Frost as a Guardian who has no memory of his life before
1. The new Chapter

**Author: This idea wouldn't leave me alone! I posted this on the kinkmeme hoping someone would write it but the plotbunny was eating me alive so I had to write it. Just so you know, I haven't read the books(searching for them though) so this is mostly movieverse with book elements.**

**Also, please tell me I'm not the only one who finds young North hopelessly attractive.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch1: The new Chapter.

_-And so the queen of the Tooth fairies learned to trust the human long after she had lost faith in him and humans, the man who would fight and create such wonderful things for children was truly fit to be a guardian. That was to be expected, what however wasn't expected was for her to fall in love with the bandit._

_Allthough some might not find that so unexpected. The bandit king was a very handsome young man, from his, dark brown hair and goatee and large blue eyes that could see the wonder in everything to his larger than life personality and love for everything... Yes Nicholas st. North was a very loveable man._

_And he loved her too, for when he looked at the queen he did not see the 'freak of nature' the feathered woman had often been called, nor did he see the young girl who saw her parents be slaughtered before her very eyes._

_No, he saw the strong warrior who would guard the memories of childhood with her life, Nick saw the love and devotion in how she cared for her army of mini fairies._

_Their love touched others, their colleagues the Easter Bunny and the Sandman all celebrated the happy couple and with time the Man in the Moon bound the two lovers by marriage._

_And they-_

"That is how you tell thee story Kathy?" North interrupted the story teller his Russian accented voice filled with amusement and faked disbelief. "Why do you not go into detail on what happened at the wedding, or the battles?" Grinning playfully the young man pulled his out his sabers. "Tell of how I've taken down so many vicious beasts, the best bandit in all the lands." He said fighting off an imaginary foe with his swords.

Katherine smiled watching her long time friend with a fond look on her young face. "You should know by now, Nick that no story is ever truly over. In fact," The girl reached for a long white feather and dipped the point of it in her special black ink, "a new chapter, for you and Toothiana begins today." she then flipped through her book going the a blank page and started writing. '_The still young cossack stared at his friend not understanding the meaning behind her riddle like words.'_

"Nicolas," Katherine said meeting her friend's eyes. "The new chapter is beginning."

North blinked his mind going over the many possibilities, the meaning of the story teller's words un till realization finally hit him. And it didn't hit him gently. "It's happening!" He cried and reached into his long bright red coat and pulled out a snow globe, a prototype for his new invention that would hopefully one day make his job easier.

"North pole." He whispered holding the snow globe close to his mouth before smashing it. "Bye Katherine!" He yelled before jumping through the portal.

Katherine let out a quiet laugh when the Russian disappeared through the portal, shaking her head in amusement she went back to her writing. '_Soon Nicholas would learn that his magical snow globes needed a lot more work before they functioned properly or maybe he was too vague in where he wanted to go. Either way he did not end up in the right place immediately.'_

**-ROTG-**

The prototype, clearly was not finished yet. Oh he ended up at the pole alright. In the middle of nowhere surrounded by miles and miles of snow! After nearly three hours of blindly running in random directions North finally made it to his workshop where he continued running till he reached the right room.

The large decorated wooden doors were closed and Bunny stood outside casually leaning against them, but North could see it in the pooka's eyes.

"Yer late."

"Snow globe."

Wrong answer.

"Aw North of all the bloody times you coulda test those things ya do it now!"

Normally Nick would not take the rabbit's tone or words lightly, but he knew he deserved them this time.

So instead of yelling to start a rare real argument between the two North quietly asks "How did it go?"

And that's all it takes for the angered look to fade away completely from the pooka's face. "Why don't ya go see for yourself?" Bunnymund opens the large door and lets _father_ Christmas enter the room.

The bandit king wastes no time and runs into the room and towards his wife on the bed. Tooth looked tired and Sandy is floating besides her, ready to give the queen of the tooth fairies pleasant dreams and a well deserved rest. There are also many mini-fairies in the room all with big happy smiles on their little faces, some are teary eyed, but North does not pay them any mind.

No, his eyes are on the little bundle in his wife's arms, he desperately wants to take a peek at what lies under the baby blue blanket, but Tooth glares at him and shifts making it impossible for North to even peek at the baby.

"You are late."

"I'm sorry love," North whisperers not wanting to break the peaceful atmosphere in the room. "I did not want to be late so I used snow globe. Did not work so well."

Slowly the glare on Tooth's face melts into a soft smile. "Like I could expect any differently." With that said she shifted, her delicate hand pulling the top of the blue blanket away revealing a small head with tiny little brown hairs and glistening sky blue eyes...

Nicholas found himself speechless, something that rarely happens, as Tooth ever so carefully presents him their new baby boy. The baby looks even more tiny in his large hands. Blue eyes, just a tint more bluer than his own blink up at him and a tiny arm reaches up and touches his chin. Little fingers on his beard and all North can really do is smile a goofy smile.

"Look what we did." Tooth laughed when North sat down besides her. "Nicolas look what we did!" She laughed when her husband snuggled closer to her. It was so surreal, she had been in pain half an hour ago and now she was a mother... A real mother!

"Thank you." Kissing her cheeks North fights the urge to lift her in the air and hug as tightly as he can. Tooth was a strong warrior, but after today she needed her rest. That, plus he didn't think he could ever let go of the little bundle of joy in his arms.

"Alright, that's enough love for the two of ya." Bunny said walking into the bedroom a large smile on his face despite himself. "Tooth needs ta rest."

"Nooo..." Tooth whines shaking her head, her hand on her baby boy's head while giving Sandy a pleading look. "Just a little longer Sandy?"

"Moy mal'ch'ik will still be here when you wake up dear." North told her, already using Russian terms of endearment on their child.

Before Tooth could make any more protests Sandy threw a ball of dreamsand in her face. With a soft sigh Tooth fell asleep.

"Sweet dreams, Angel moy." North whispered tucking her in. He then walked over to the window.

The full moon was out but North wasn't presenting his son to Manny, he would do that again tomorrow when he felt more like his extrovert self.

Looking down at the cooing baby in his arms North found it hard to keep in contact with reality. He was now a father... He who grew up- a literal feral child without any parents, was a father. How could he be a father if he could barely act like an adult? Sure children loved him, but he was never a constant in their lives and how- The baby was so small! What if he broke him! Or what if Too-

"Nick!" Bunny broke North of his distressing line of thoughts and judging by the Pooka's tone Bunny had been trying to for a while now. Turning around North saw both Bunnymund and Sandy looking at him with worried expressions.

"It's going to be fine North." Bunny assured him, Sandy nodding vigorously giving two thumbs up. "You and Toothy will do great."

Again North looked at the baby, it almost looked like he was smiling, barely an hour old and he looked like he was smiling. A toothless smile... Oh how his mother would squeal when the boy's teeth would grow in.

"You are going to be handful are you not?" The Russian wasn't sure if the baby knew it, those sky blue eyes already promised mischief. Like the son of the king of bandits should be... "Jackson St. North."

**Author: Yes I ship NorthxTooth and looky here Jack's their son, I gave him blue eyes so he'd look like his dad as a human to. His hair will turn white when he becomes Jack Frost. I have no idea how long this is going to be exactly, but do know that I will try to update often.**


	2. Reach for you, my little Sweet Tooth

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch2: Reach for you, my little Sweet Tooth.

Naturally Tooth didn't go back to collecting teeth right away, no she made sure to put her mini-fairies to good use while she stayed at the North pole. Little Jack was born in the middle of January, the time of year when his father was the least busy.

Something North took full advantage of. Every moment the ex bandit could spare was with their little baby boy. Jack barely two months old enjoyed every moment of it. North made it is job to show Jack something new and wonderous at least once a day.

The young man would be goofing around just to draw out those excited giggles from the child. Making silly faces, throwing Jack up in the air and catch- well the few times North had done that Tooth had flown up and caught the baby before North could. She'd handed Jack over to a near yeti and then proceed to chew her husband's ears out for bringing her baby in danger.

That did not stop Nicolas, oh no everything the child could want was provided. It was also the time of year when North would start with the new toy designs. Christmas was just over, but now it was time to make sure no child would receive the same gifts as last year. All these things combined made her husband a heavy sleeper.

Meaning whenever the baby cried during the night Tooth was always the one who heard, well she and like a dozen yetis who also adored Jack, but that didn't matter much seeing only a selected few yetis were allowed to help with the baby. Another law inforced by the fairy queen.

It might seem a _little_ overprotective, but her getting pregnant had already been a miracle... Or a gift. No way in hell was she ever going to let anything happen to her baby boy.

Hell hath no furry to the anger of a new mother, to who ever even dared to think of harming something as precious as her little prince.

Thinking of someone hurting Jack is enough to make Tooth want to reach for her own swords and make her suddenly wish to leave the bed and go spar. Closing her eyes she listened to North's breathing and let the sound calm her down.

Anyway, it wasn't like Toothiana could go for say... less than 10 minutes without her little baby prince, so those few moments alone with him every night were a blessing in their own way. Plus Tooth being something close to a hummingbird only needed a 15 minute nap every once in a while and did not mind getting up to the sounds of the baby's wails at all.

Most nights she was only in the bed to be close to her husband, watching him sleep, for once completely at peace. sometimes Sandy would give North extra dreamsand so she could watch his dreams play out above her love's head. Even those so wonderous it could have her gazing at the golden sand for hours. Those two things among with watching Jack doing about anything were the few things that actually could have her sit still or lay still for hours.

So when she heard the distant sound of her child's whimpers Toothiana was up in the air and flying through the hallway. Tooth reached the babyroom in exactly 4.5 seconds.

The baby room... Maybe Nicolas and Aster had gone a little overboard with it. If it was a professional painting it would be called 'the colors of the sky'. The ceiling, very high up so Tooth and Sandy had all the room to fly and float, was a very dark shade of blue, lower little lights would shine just as bright as real stars.

Then slowly it shifted to lighter shades of blue till it was as bright as the sky on a sunny day, with clouds that if you looked close enough every once in a while changed their shape. The lower half of the walls continued to change colors and ended in orange with a setting sun near the floor, the setting sun was also very well disguised heather wich would warm the cold North pole air.

The room, so full of every kind of toys, from stuffed animals, a miniature flying version of Sandy's dreamship till an army of wooden soldiers, was still messy from when North had played with Jack... Which was North playing with the toys and demonstrating them to Jack who laughed and cooed at everything.

Jack did not stop whimpering at the sight of his mother, in fact the baby let out a grumble of some sorts and started crying.

Smiling softly Tooth gently lifted Jack from his cradle. "Hush now my little prince. Mama's here." She whispered to him and took of flight. Already it was clear that unlike his 'uncle Bunny', Jack loved being in the air. Just flying up with his mom was usually enough to calm him down.

Not this time though.

Toothiana was familiar with her baby boy's unhappy grumbles. Jack's first baby tooth was already coming through. Something Aster had to repeatedly assure her was normal. Not all babies follow the stable pattern and start teething at six months.

Apparently little Jackie had sensed his mother's eagerness to see what his teeth would look like and started teething early.

Oh how Toothiana adored that little white tooth that was slowly showing up from Jack's gums.

It was so shiny and white!

The most adorable tooth she had ever seen and queen Toothiana had seen many teeth.

So adorable it was almost sweet...

"I know it hurts my little Sweet Tooth." Tooth whispered testing the new nickname. "But soon you'll have a mouth full of adorable little white teeth. Isn't that great?"

Obviously Jack didn't agree with her and continued crying.

Flying up a bit higher Tooth did what her mother had done for her when she was sad. She sang.

The same song, in the long forgotten language of the Sisters of Flight. The words of it still holding all their meaning.

_"__It seems like the whole world is turning its back on you  
That must be what you are feeling._

_But while you sigh,  
Stop your crying  
Because I am here._

_I'm here next to you  
Just open your eyes and see  
I'm here in front of you  
And I'm looking, I'm looking  
Straight at you._

Her voice was soothing to Jack, baby blue eyes already dropping. Smiling a small soft smile Tooth gently gave a small squeeze to his tiny hand.

_I'm here next to you  
Just put out your hand  
And I'll warm it for you."_

By the end of the song Jack was fast asleep, his little head resting against Tooth's feathered chest. "Sweet Dreams my little Sweet Tooth." Tooth whispered kissing Jack's forehead. "I'll always be here for you."

**Author: Toothy is a very protective mom ; ) That last line made me so sad for reasons you'll understand later. We'll get to the sad stuff soon, Jack's gotta have a childhood, but I won't go much into it. Just one or two more and of Jack growing up and then we'll get to the serious stuff.**

**Those who are familiar with my writing know that I love to make Tooth sing or hum to Jack. The song she sings is from an anime I used to watch. If you want to hear the original version just go to youtube and type 'Digimon' and 'reach for you'.**


	3. How the years go by

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG

Ch3: How the years go by.

Jack is two when Bunny gets to watch him a whole day alone. It's the first time, not because Bunnymund didn't want to babysit, Bunny and Sandy had asked to watch the little tyke since the day he was born, it was the first time because Tooth was hard to convince that nothing would happen to her Sweet Tooth in the Warren.

The family of three arrived at the Warren through a now _almost _perfect working snow globe portal. "Bunny hop hop hop!" Jack squealed jumping from his mother's arms onto the soft grass and running to Bunnymund's side.

"Heey," Bunny chuckled easily lifting the toddler up. "How's my favorite lil anklebiter doing?" It was wrong for the guardians to play favorites, but this was family. And no one could resist little Jack.

"Jack good." The two year-old nodded firmly.

"Yes, he is." Tooth flew down remaining in the air, her face hardened when she looked at Bunny. "You'll watch him?"

Bunny nodded meeting Tooth's serious look with one of his own. "With my life sheila." He then smiled looking down at Jack and shifted him to put the toddler on his shoulders. "Wanna paint some eggs?"

"Go, go go!"

Jack squealed in delight when Bunny dropped to all fours and began running up the hills.

Holding her hands to her chest Tooth watched the two of them with worry filled amethyst eyes.

North laughed wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder and pulling her close. "Worry not Angel moy. Let boy have fun, Bunny iz good with Jack no? Everything will be fine."

"I know, b-but chocolate!" Tooth exclaimed voice going shrill. "Bunny will give him Easter candy and Jack will get cavities!"

"Jack's teeth are still new." North said with a dismissive wave of his large hand. "Let them have fun. While we also have _fun_." The Russian said pulling her even closer and wriggling his large eyebrows at her.

"Nicolas! It hasn't been that long since we-"

"Oh yes it iz." North said in a hushed voice, his hands traveling to his wife's lower regions. Tooth did nothing to stop him. It had been a while since she and North had been completely alone and maybe he was right and they should take advantage of the situation. A soft sigh escaped her as she lovingly wrapped her arms around North's neck and leant closer to-

"Oi!"

Gasping the couple whirled around to see Bunny standing atop a hill with Jack sitting on his shoulder. "Not in my Warren! Go do yer stuff somewhere else!"

From his spot on Bunny's shoulder Jack happily clapped his hands. "Mama and daddy ave fun!"

"Sure they do Jackie." Aster chuckled waving along with Jack, as North and Tooth disapeared through the portal... More like a grinning North pulling Tooth through the magical portal with him.

"No candy, and don't play so rough and he needs his nap in two hours Bunny! Oh and don't forget to-" Tooth last instruction was lost when the portal closed, but it wasn't like Bunny really planned on following her orders. It was his day with the lil' anklebiter and he planned on enjoying it. Though he did plan on listening to her regarding Jack's nap.

God knew the child could be a brat when not having gotten enough sleep.

Adjusting his grip on the toddler Bunnymund asked "Ya ready ta help me prepare for Easter?"

"Bunny hide eggs!"

With a small laugh Bunny got on all fours ready to take of when Jack spoke again.

"Bunny hide eggs at pole!"

"Wha?" his thoughts coming to a halt Aster placed Jack on the ground. "Where could I hide my googies at tha pole? There's no trees or grass there." Bunny smiled when Jack got a thoughtful look which was painfully adorable on such a young face. "Ya can search for eggs when ya daddy takes ya to tha village kay?" He amended. North from time to time took Jack to random villages with the sleigh so Jack could play with other kids. There was already a trip planned for Easter Sunday to a nice little village called Burgess.

"Bunny hide eggs in snow." Jack decided grinning widely as he pictures his favorite rabbit's bright-colored eggs hidden under a layer of pretty white snow.

Though he shook his head with a fond smile on his face, on the inside Bunny made a mental note to one day hide some Easter eggs in a snowcoated area.

It would be in many, _many _years from now that the Easter eggs would be covered in more than a healthy doses of snow.

**-ROTG-**

Jack is seven when the world deems him old enough to meet his family's greatest enemy. It happens on a night no one in his family was fast to forget...  
A rare night when Tooth actually sleeps.

Unconsciously the fairy nestled closer to her husband's large body for extra warmth. North was still as muscular as the day they met. Jack would not give his old man a chance to gain weight, not when the kid had his mom's energy level and his dad's sense of adventure.

Tooth's dream of teeth as white as freshly fallen snow is cut short when she jolted awake. Something was wrong... She didn't know what, but _something_ was very very wrong.

For a small moment she debates on waking North, but decided against it, and went to Jack's room. The fairy froze in the doorway.

Jack was in his bed, still asleep but his face scrunched up in fear. Toothiana didn't have to wonder what caused the child so show such fear, even in his sleep. Looming over him was none other than Pitch Black. The boogeyman was gently stroking Jack's cheek with a long bony finger. Pitch smirked meeting Tooth's wide amethyst eyes with is gleaming yellow ones.

"Ah Toothiana... I wondered what could have caused you to stop doing field work." Pitch's grin grew when Jack whimpered, the sweet fear the boy was producing was so pure... almost intoxicating. So much more powerful than what he normally fed of from other children. "You and the bandit have been busy I see." He chuckled darkly looking down at Jack. "So precious..." He cooed. "Just a little prince."

"Get away from him Pitch!"

"Wouldn't he make a fine fearling prince?"

"PITCH!"

'No, no, no NO!' She could not take this. Snarling Tooth flew forward, pushing Pitch away, pinning him down and throwing punch after punch.

"Mama!"

Gasping Tooth stopped, her fist inches from Pitch's face and turned to the bed. Jack was sitting on the bed choking on sobs and looking at her with large tear filled blue eyes.

"Jack, sweetie it's okay." Tooth hurriedly tried to assure. "It's okay, mama's here. It's al-" Tooth gasped when Pitch dispeared from underneath her, blending into the shadows.

Scrambling back up Tooth tried to get to Jack, but froze when Pitch appeared near the window on the other side of Jack's bed a large ball of black magic in his hands. The ball of pure darkness one that would turn its' victim in a fearling.

Pitch raised his arm to throw the darkness down on the frightened child, but before he could let go a golden whip wrapped around his wrist and the Nightmare king was roughly yanked up and thrown across the room.

"Sandy." Tooth breathed in relief when the little golden man flew in through the window. Besides her on the floor a rabbit hole opened and Bunnymund jumped out his boomerangs already in his hands.

Behind her North rushed through the door, still in bright red satin pjs but sabers in hands ready to attack. He jumped over her to join Bunny and Sandy in the fight.

Taking a deep breath Tooth flew up to the bed and gathered Jack in her arms. Jack buried his head against her feathered chest crying his eyes out. "Shs.. Sweet Tooth it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay." The fact that she was still shaking herself didn't help calming the child down. In her head she was continuously thanking her husband's latest invention.

The Northern Lights, so they could contact each other when they were in trouble.

Needing to distract Jack from the fight taking place Tooth did what she always did when Jack was sad, scared or just couldn't sleep. She sang 'Reach for you'.

"_I'm here next to you  
I'm here my Sweet Tooth  
Just put out your hand  
And I'll warm it for you."_

**-ROTG-**

Weeks after the attack Jack still refused to sleep. Right before bedtime the boy would turn into the big bad monster of 'NO!' No matter how many times Tooth sang Reach for You or how many rides North took him on with the sleigh the child would kick, scream and protest and overall refuse to sleep.

Nearly every night Sandy had to come over because there just wasn't any other way to get Jack to sleep... Only apparently it was possible to develop an immune system to dreamsand... Or maybe Jack was just that stubborn. Probably a mix of both.

One night they all decided to try a different approach.

Jack giggled when North carried him high over his head and ran into his room. They crashed onto Jack's bed still laughing.

Flying above the bed Tooth cleared her throat. "Jack sweetie it's time for-"

"NO!"

"But mal'ch'ik, you must be very tired after all the fun we had today." North calmly tried to convince his son to go to sleep. "Sleep now and we can play more in morning da?"

"I don't want to go to sleep!"

Floating near the doorstep, Sandy's face lit up, and the dream bringer flew into the room stopping besides Tooth above Jack's bed. Creating a small wave of dreamsand he let it float to Jack where it formed the image of a boy a couple of years older than Jack himself, in a weird outfit with triangle-shapped hat on his head and a small fairy flying besides him.

"Ah, story of Peter Pan." North said with a loud laugh. "Iz good tale Sandy."

Jack was quiet as he watched the sand image fight of pirates, a crocodile, play with mermaids and indians and fly through the air without the aid of wings like his mama or without the help of reindeer like his daddy. The seven year-old lifted his head and looked at his dad curiously. "Who is Peter Pan, daddy?"

Tooth sat down besides Jack as North began telling the story of Peter Pan with Sandy creating sand images to make the experience all the better.

Jack was half asleep when his dad finished the story of the 'boy who never wanted to grow up'.

Smiling down at the tired child on his lap North gently shifted Jack from his lap to Tooth's. Tooth met North's eyes as she started singing.

Jack would be okay.

**-ROTG-**

At the age of ten Jack and North decide to give Tooth a hearth attack. Well, that's not completely true seeing Jack nearly gave his mom a heart attack on a daily basis.

To see North and Jack in the sleigh was nothing new, Jack loved the view over the world from the sleigh, the loop-dey-loops and everything about the sleigh. He enjoyed the long flight when North would take him to the village to play with other kids, Jack just enjoyed high places. That was nothing new.

To see North and Jack in the sleigh with Jack _driving_ the sleigh was a nightmare only Aster could come up with.

The queen had to fly after the damn sleigh for 10 minutes, her angry screams "Jackson St North you land this sleigh right now or so help me!" landing on deaf ears, not her husband nor her son hearing her over the sound of the wind.

Much to Tooth's horror and relief the sleigh (crash)landed in a snow bank.

"That was awesome!" Jack cheered jumping to his feet. "Can we go again dad?"

"Of course mal'ch'ik." North laughed. "You are natural! Will be great like papa one day."

Jack nodded eagerly throwing his fist in the air. "When I grow up I'm gonna fight off bears and monsters just like you di- oh ooh..." Jack gulped looking past his father.

That confused the Russian, turning around he faced the angered face of his wife. "Oh ooh..."

"Nicolas! What were you thinking giving him the reins!" Tooth bellowed. "You two could have gotten seriously hurt, stunt flying like that!" The fairy than flew over to Jack. "And you mister are grounded for the rest of the month, no make that two months!"

"Mom!" Jack groaned his face falling. "That's not fair!"

"Neither is giving me a heart attack! No go back inside and help the kitchen yetis prepare dinner. And for goodness sake wear shoes when you're playing outside!"

Normal children would maybe have tried to argue at this point. Jack's mom is a warrior queen with swords and an army at her disposal and Tooth was not pleasant when she was in mama bear mode. So the ten-year old just grumbled and walked back to the workshop.

That didn't stop Jack's grin to the sound of his dad getting his ears chewed out. You so didn't want to mess with his mom.

**Author: In an early interview about the movie William Joyce says he based the idea of Jack Frost on Peter Pan by Barrie White, who in turn based Peter Pan on his friend who fell through the ice and drowned two days before his fourteenth birthday. Peter is the boy who never wanted to grow up and Jack the boy who never got the chance.**

**Baby Tooth was made to be there Tinkerbell to Jack's Peter Pan.**

**That's why Jack Frost is always 14 in my stories. William Joyce also says Jack's forever stuck as 14 in the audio commentary in the movie so yeah... It seemed like a fun idea to make the story of Peter Pan Jack's favorite fairy tale. **

**Anonymous review replies.  
EM: Thank you so much!**

**E: All you questions will be answered in the next few chapters. I can tell you that the older guardians **_**will**_** recognize Jack Frost as their Jack and it _will _hurt.**


	4. The Death of Old Man Winter

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch4: The Death of Old Man Winter.

"Attack!"

Immediately after Jack's cry a small army of twenty elves ran into the globe room and tackled Bunnymund, pushing the pooka warrior from his chair. Really it was hard to believe that it all started with three elves Jack had found in a village in Norway. More elves just kept showing up, and they all acted like noble minions to the child now reaching fourteen years of age.

"Jack!"

"Not my fault you don't have any reflexes kangaroo!"

Damn North and Tooth for celebrating last new year in Australia, for once above the ground where Jack was introduced to what became his favorite mammal... Apparently the teen had seen some similarities between the land's native animals and the pooka warrior... Similarities that Bunny was never going to live down.

Mock glaring at the blue-eyed prankster Bunny made a show of getting back on his large feet, throwing an elf that still hang from his shoulder in a random direction. "Oh it's on now Jackie." He said in a low voice and leaped from his spot easily tackling Jack who still had not learned that he stood no chance against the six-foot tall warrior rabbit, no matter how good at sword fighting he was becoming.

"Boys" Tooth's distracted voice stopped their friendly tussleling. "You two can play _after_ the meeting." She then went back to instructing her mini fairies.

"Yes mom." Jack said rolling his eyes, at the same time Bunny said "Yes Tooth" the action followed by Bunny smacking his forehead for letting his friend walk over him like that.

"I'm gonna go bug-eh play with the yetis." Jack declared getting back to his feet and leaving the globe room, leaving his family to their emergency meeting.

As soon as Jack left the room bright moonbeams touched the floor from the moon which was still somewhat transparent in the early winter afternoon.

"_My Guardians,_" The man in the moon did not have a real actual voice, Manny's voice wasn't loud and with a voice that would echo through the room like some would expect. Instead a gentle voice echoed through of the guardians' heads. "_I bare regretful news, Old man Winter passed away last night._"

The news was met a quiet gasp from Tooth, a low growl from North(that old geezer always stared at his wife in the wrong ways) Sandy's eyes narrowed with worry as did Bunnymund's. "But tha seasons, how will this work for the balance?" Winter although not his favorite season, was still needed.

Needed to clean up after autumn's mess, to preserve the ground, to keep ice caps from melting. Bunny knew that he too needed winter for how can people hope for spring if there's no winter?

"_You are correct Aster. With Old man Winter gone the balance is tipped._" Manny sounded tired, mentally tired, whatever he had done beforehand must have tired him greatly. "_That is why I will create a new winter spirit tonight. The reason I am telling you this, is because I'll be using a large amount of my powers tonight... It will limit my ways of communication. I may not be able to speak to you in centuries after this._"

Obviously disagreeing with this Sandy formed a circle with a diagonal line going through it, while shaking his head. He then formed three squares in a line. Each with a letter besides it. 'A. B. and C.'

"Sandy iz right old friend." North nodded in agreement. "There must be other way. Perhaps Mother Nature could assis-"

"_Seraphina has already made it clear that she will not be of any help. The woman is stilll mourning over what happened to her father. She understands your reasoning for attacking him as would any mother. But she refuses to take another spirit under her wing. I assure you that surely her opinion will change once the spirit is brought into existence._"

Tooth looked up at the sky gazing at the moon while she gathered her thoughts. The man in the moon was already so alone up there, forced to watch over humanity but never being a part of it. And now he was willing to give up being able to communicate with the few people that could hear him to save everything on the planet. "Guys, Many has obviously put a lot of thought into this. I think we should respect his choice." They really shouldn't make it harder on Manny than it already was.

Never one to give up North got up from his seat. "Let me talk to Seraphina before you do anything Manny. I vill convince her to help. This does not have to be goodbye!"

"Nicolas... Honey if there's no other way-"

"Iz alright love, just one visit to Mother Nature's home, it iz near Burgess da? Jack has been wanting to visit village again for a while now. It will be fine."

Pursing her lips Toothiana flew to her Husband, smiling reluctantly when he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. How many times had North not said those exact words? "I should give you one of my quarters for every time you say that and things didn't turn out fine." She quietly told him, her tone playful yet also reprimanding and put her small hands on his shoulders, fingers toying with the dark fur of his coat.

He loved it when she used that tone on him. "But you have already made me so rich." North grinned talking in a hushed voice. The couple leaned towards each other, their lips inches away when-

"Yech! Go get a room"

Turning around North grinned when he spotted Jack leaning against the doorway, the glint in the boy's blue eyes promising North that he would be getting lots of complaints from his workers. "Ah mal'ch'ik, just in time! Put on your shoes on. You and I are going to Burgess like you have been asking!"

At that Jack frowned. "I haven't asked you to take-" North was already guiding him through the door.

"I vill make up to you at your birthday." North promised, the special project he had been working on for his son would be finished for the birthday in two days.

**-ROTG-**

Jack could not keep his pout on for long. Soon came the loop dey loops which had the boy whooping and cheering like he was on a roller coaster ride.

What felt like too soon they were flying calmly through the air at a much slower pace than before.

"You know," Jack said, playing with a thread from his brown pants. Almost fourteen years, and Tooth still called and dressed him like her little prince. Jack was in one of his simpler clothes, dark brown pants and white button blouse. "mom's right in not liking mother nature. Sandy says you and her had a _thing_ once." Jack then shuddered because the thought of his dad with anyone other than his mother is just disturbing.

"Me and Seraphina happened very long ago, Jack. Iz in ze past." North replied looking ahead rather than at Jack.

"Is that why she crashed your and mom's wedding?"

When Jack's question sunk in North turned to him, surprise clear on his still jolly face. "You and Sandy talk too much." He said while searching his pocket for snowglobe, when he found one he threw it as far away as he could while shouting "Burgess Pennsylvania!"

Yes, it had taken nearly fourteen years to perfect the snow globes, but it had been worth it.

North landed the sleigh in middle of the forest, where they were sure it wouldn't be found. The two then walked to the village. "I will be back in hour, just short talk with Mother Nature should do trick da?"

"If you say so." Jack shrugged.

Laughing North patted Jack's shoulder. "You go have fun with ze children, da?"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Jack grinned, bouncing on his heels immediately stopping when he realized what he was doing. He was trying to stop bouncing when getting excited. Fourteen was way too old for the habit. "Bye dad, see you later!" He cried waving as ran to the village.

The moment Jack entered the village, doors opened and children ran from their homes all cheering.

Everything always got fun when Jack st. North visited.

**-ROTG-**

Mother Nature's home was something hard to understand. It had many entrances yet it was hard to come in or even find it. The only reason North knew of the hidden entrance in the forest near Burgess was thanks to him seducing her years ago.

It had been a foolish plan and cost him too much. North did not like thinking back to that time.

Soon the cossack was in front of the large tree, in the center of the dark forest. "Seraphina!" He yelled, the tree looked dead, but that was the trick. Sometimes the tree was beautiful with bright green leaves during winter or it would be dead in summer. The tree often changed appearance to confuse other spirits. "I just want to talk to you!"

Nothing happened so North decided he would try knocking on the tree, when his fist made contact with the bark the Russian fell through the tree... or into the tree.. Either way the experience was disorienting and he ended up on his behind in a room of which most materials in it seemed to be made from dirt or from wood.

And there sitting on a large throne made out of dark wood and decorated with bright red and yellow flowers sat Seraphina Pitchner. The woman's black hair blending into the shadows, but her pale face and bright green dress stood out like a sore thumb.

"Nicolas, to what do I owe this... Pleasure?"

**-ROTG-**

After being shown all the new toys and everything that had changed in the village since his last visit, Jack asked the group of kids what they wanted to do. The answer was unanimous.

There was a new black smith in the village and unlike horseshoes or axes this blacksmith's speciality lay in something different.

Ice skates.

Laughing Jack let the group of kids from ages 4 to 12 lead him to a pond which according to everyone was perfect for ice skating.

Turns out they were right.

The pond was in a beautiful clearing surrounded by large trees and there was a nice healthy coating of snow everywhere. Just the way he liked it! Grinning he turned to the kids.

"Who's ready to have some fun?"

**-ROTG-**

"I am highly aware of Old Man Winter's passing." Mother Nature said when North finished explaining the reason for his visit.

"Then you must understand the graveness of ze zituation." North insisted. "Vithout someone to control winter the balan-"

"The balance of the world will fall apart." Seraphina finished for him in a bored tone. "I know. I just don't see why I should interfere when your dear Man in the Moon seems to have everything under control?"

It was infuriating how much Seraphina could be like her father at times.

"Seraphina! The world iz not safe vithout someone to control winter! People vill get hurt!"

**-ROTG-**

It had been great! They ice skated for forty minutes till Jack decided it would be a good idea to head back to the village, it was already getting dark and he didn't want to get to get the kids in trouble.

On the other hand their moms didn't have a sword and army hidden away so it probably wasn't a big deal if they got home late.

Most of the kids were already back on their way. Jack was just taking off the borrowed pair of ice skates he had used and about to put his shoes back on when he heard it.

Ice cracking.

Whirling around Jack turned back to the pond. There in the center stood a little six-year-old girl with long brown hair and eyes that were already filling with tears, her feet rooted to cracking surface of the pond. "J-Jack?" Emma whimpered when the ice cracked all around her.

Not thinking Jack let go of his shoes and rushed to the pond, the ice near the shore was still frozen so he could walk on it, but only a few steps. Not nearly as close as he needed to be to save the little girl.

"It's okay, it's okay." Jack assured forcing seriousness in his voice needing Emma to remain calm.

Shutting her eyes tightly a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Jack," Emma whispered voice cracking. "I'm scared." She sniffled opening her eyes and meeting Jack's own blue gaze.

There had to be something he could do! He was the son of two of the Guardians of Childhood, how could he not be able to save this little girl?!

Why wasn't he like Bunny? Big and fearless, Bunny would know how to save the girl.

Or more like his dad? Brave and strong! He was just Jack st. North... Compared to his family he really wasn't much...

Blue eyes darting around Jack took another step forward which only resulted in another crack emanating from the ice. "I know, Emma... But you're gonna be fine... Y-you're not gonna fall in. I'm here... It's gonna be okay." It was a weird moment to think about his mom and her special song. That really would make him feel better right now.

Sadness and fear really weren't things Jack handled well, Jack was better with things that were... Fun! "We're gonna have a little fun instead." Sky blue eyes landed on a long shepherd's staff a few feet... three steps away, one of the other kids must have left it behind.

Emma was fully crying now. "No we're not!"

"You know who my dad is?" Jack said, Emma shouldn't be sad! He could get rid of this sadness. "Nicolas St. North, bandit king and..."

"Santa Claus?" The timid question was asked quietly. Emma blinked back her tears and a curious look replaced her scarred one.

Jack nodded smiling. "That's right and would Santa Claus lie to you?" Well North had lied to him about the puppy for his sixth birthday, but lets not go there.

With a small smile on her face Emma shook her head.

"And as his son I wouldn't lie to you either." Jack fixed her gaze and for a moment it felt like there was nothing there but him and Emma. He could do this. "You have to believe in me. Just like you believe in Santa and the Tooth fairy okay?"

Emma paused and then she nodded smiling through her fear.

And just like that, Jack's demeanor changed. A light switched on inside him and the last thing that could be happening is what actually is happening.

"Wanna play a game?" Jack cheerfully asked. "We're gonna play hopscotch, I know you like that." How did he know that? Jack had no idea, but something inside him, in his center said that this little girl liked to play hopscotch. "It's as easy as... One..." He took one large step forward, then pretending to lose his balance. "Whoa!" His arms flailed around eliciting giggles from Emma.

"Two." Another large step forward.

"Three!" He finished with the last jump, landing close to the staff and picked it up. Jack was shivering, it had nothing to do with the cold. This was nothing compared to the North Pole and he walked around barefoot there all the time. He focused back on Emma and spread his arms. "Alright, now it's your turn." He said kneeling down and extending the crooked end of the staff to her.

Gulping Emma looked down at her skates and the spiderweb like cracks in the ice underneath her. Gathering her courage she took one tiny step forward.

"One." Jack softly counted for her.

Feeling a tad more confident Emma's next step is a small hop. Her landing is wobbly and she catches her balance just in time, but the sound of the ice cracking again echoes throughout the entire forest.

"That's it, that's it, already two steps." Jack said trying to distract her from her from the breaking ice. She's already close enough... Just in his staff's reach.

"Three!" Jack cried leaning forward and wrapping the crooked end of the staff around Emma's waist and in one massive effort he slings her with all his might to safety. But the movement propels him into the cracked ice.

Jack landed on his knees, looking up at Emma's surprised face he smiled at her. Everything would be alright. He would bring Emma back to the safety of the village and warn everyone about the pond that it was unsafe to go skating there. His dad would take him home and he would proudly tell his family about saving Emma.

And maybe he could be a brave hero like his dad, a warrior like his mom and Bunnymund. Maybe he was someone children could look up to like Sandy.

Underneath him the ice cracks and the next and last thing Jackson St. North knows he is plunged into the dark cold water.

**-ROTG-**

_One person, Manny could grant one person the power- make one person the embodiment of Winter. It would cost him greatly for after that the man in the moon would not be able to communicate for a very, very long time._

_It had to be the right person. Someone good, for winter was harsh, Old Man Winter had been in charge of Winter since the ice ages and all the winters since had been too harsh._

_One person, and if that one person was the son of two of his great friends who selflessly give his life for another child, than so be it._

_-But the man in the moon had not been on time. For a short moment Jackson St. North had been dead, no breath, no heartbeat and no brain activity._

_As he pulled the boy from the again frozen ice Manny could sense Jack's fear __and__ confusion, Manny realized the painful truth._

_The child had lost all his memories._

_"You're name," Manny said, the last words he could send to earth in a long time. "is Jack Frost." But that's all he ever could say to Jack. _


	5. Blue Christmas and Toothache

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch5: Blue Christmas and Toothache.

The sound echoed throughout the forest and it sounded even louder in Mother Nature's home. North instantly recognized the sound of ice shattering, he sculptured the basic designs for toys from ice so he is familiar with the sound. Seconds later the temperature started to drop, not subtle at all. The cold harsh... Cold as death.

Cursing under his breath North searched the tree home for a window needing to see the moon, it didn't matter that he found none. Just feeling it get colder and colder was proof enough that the man in the moon had chosen a new winter spirit. "Manny, why could you not have waited." He muttered aware that they wouldn't hear from the man in the moon for centuries now. Turning back to mother nature to snap at her for refusing to help North bit his tongue when he saw the woman's horrified look.

Her face had gone even paler and her grass colored eyes were the size of saucers. "Yes..." She said responding to someone North could not hear. "I'll watch to it..." Seraphina nodded to herself before turning back to North. "Nicolas, you must leave this place."

North opened his mouth to protest, to tell her he wasn't done with her yet, but before he could utter a single word the Russian found himself standing outside the tree home in the dark forest.

Turning his gaze upwards North couldn't see the light of the moon. It was hidden far behind the dark clouds and maybe even far beyond that.

It was dark and cold and for some reason the cossack found himself getting scared.

**-ROTG-**

When he arrived at the village North's forbidding feeling grew ten fold. A gloomy atmosphere was all over the colonial village. It was like a great depression hanging in the air. North could hear children crying and everyone looked so down...

Breath turning harsh North's pace quickened, large eyes looking around for any sign of his son. "Jack! Jack iz time to go home!" Finally he spotted a little girl who he knew was friends with Jack, she was talking to who North assumed to be the town's preacher.

"Excuse me," he said walking over to the two. "have you seen my son? He iz probably playing around somewhere, but it iz time for us to go home."

At that Emma broke down in tears again, burying her face in her small hands. North was about to kneel down and comfort her when the preacher spoke up. "Nicolas, your son was a great young man."

'_Was?_'

Not aware that his hands were shaking North's hand automatically reached for the hilt of one of his sabers. "What you mean by 'was'?" North demanded, voice low and threatening. Children watching or not, this man would meet the other end of North's swords if he did not start talking soon, was he threatening Jack? Growling North roughly lifted the preacher by his collar. "Better start talking or I-"

"The pond!" Emma sobbed gaining North's attention. "We were ice skating a-an-and the ice- h-he-he saved me!"

North was already running as fast as he could before her words truly sunk in, already out of the village and through the forest.

Low sharp tree branches cut into his face and teared through his clothes, but he barely feels anything. No longer is the coldness that he's feeling from the temperature. His insides feel cold, the dread makes him want drop everything, but he won't because- Because it's not true.

It can't be true!

"Jack!" North cried nearly stumbling from between the bushes and entering the clearing where the pond is. "Jack! Moy syn where are you?!"

The pond has one large gaping hole in its center and the rest is decorated with pretty frost patterns, as where the nearby trees, but the Russian didn't notice.

Grunting North pulled his swords out and stabbed the ice near the shore with them, he didn't break through so he hit the ice again, and again, again... And again. Cursing loudly in Russian, his voice breaking every so often North continued to try to break through the ice.

That's how Sandy found him, the dream bringer had sensed that all the children in the village had trouble sleeping and decided to go and seek the disturbance out only to be distracted by loud Russian cursing which seemed to get more and more desperate with each hit North made.

Landing besides his friend Sandy pulled on North's sleeve only to have North yank his arm back, never once did he look away from the ice.

Aware that he needed help Sandy flew over to the nearest tree and knocked on it, exactly two times so Bunnymund would hear it from in his Warren. Sandy's fist hit the bark for the second time on the same moment that North's sword broke through the ice.

A rabbit hole opened and Aster jumped out of it just in time to see North dive into the lake.

"North! What the bloody blazes are ya doing?!" Bunny cried rushing to the side of the pond trying to see his friend in the dark water. "What's going on?" The pooka demanded looking at Sandy who shrugged while shaking his head with a frantic look on his golden face.

They held their breath waiting-hopping- for North to resurface. It was impossible to swim in there with the water mostly frozen. What was North thinking?!

After what seemed like far too long North broke through the surface, face bright red and rigt now that wasn't a good thing. The Russian took a big gulp of air and was about to go under again only to be stopped by Bunny who had grabbed the cossack's arms and dragged out of the icy water.

"Let me go!" North cried struggling to free himself from the pooka's grip. "Moy mal'ch'ik! I need to get my boy!"

Aster froze when he realized what North was saying. "Jack? Jackie's in there?!"

Growling North threw Bunny of him and dived back into the cold water. This time Bunny followed in after him.

Sandy floated down near the pond. He couldn't go into the water and help the search, but at least his dreamsand could provide some light to hopefully make the task easier.

Not too long afterwards North and Bunny broke through the surface. "It's too dark! North! Ah- I don't think he's in here!"

"No!" North screamed, and Bunny wasn't sure who he was screaming at. At him or the sky the Russian was glaring at. "Little girl say-" North's breathing was coming out in harsh pants from both the swim in the frozen water and the... the truth. "Little-" gasp "girl say-ice skating and-" choked gasp "moy mal'ch'ik... Little girl say Jack fell through the ice."

If Bunny's ears hadn't already been down, blueish-grey fur heavy when wet, they would have flattened against his skull at the information.

Squeezed shut eyes flew open when Sandy realized something. Creating sand images in a speed that made it hard for his two comrades to follow. Bunny was the first to decipher the images.

"Sandy's right mate, maybe..." Bunny paused, choosing his words carefully. "Jackie's not in there, maybe he got out." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth, false hope did that. If he and North already had trouble swimming in that freezing water, than scrawny little Jack hadn't stood a chance.

They searched for hours.

Hours on end. Sneaking through the village and far beyond it. They continued when it started to snow, searching through small snowbanks, every possible place they could think of. They'd even gone back to the sleigh in hopes that Jack might have gone there after miraculously getting out of the pond. No, there was no sign of the young teen. Nothing at all.

But when young North's lips and finger tips started to turn blue and Bunny began having trouble moving his arms they were forced to... to give up.

With North and Bunnymund in no state to use their normal way of transportation Sandy created his dreamsand airplane around them.

The plane flew through the air and not one of the three passengers was aware of white-haired boy watching them from his place in one of the highest trees in the forest. Sky blue eyes watched the plane disappear down the horizon, it was weird, really. For a moment, when watching the three people leave, he felt something like... Abandonment.

And then the feeling was gone. Shaking his head the new spirit of winter touched the bark of the tree with his staff admiring the pretty frost patterns he could create.

**-ROTG-**

Tooth was already waiting for them when the three male guardians returned to the pole. "Nicolas!" She cried flying over to her husband. "You're late! I was worried and-" She inhaled sharply when she out of habbit put her hands on North's shoulder and felt that some of the fur on his red coat was frozen. "Nicolas?"

Taking in the blue lips and heavy shaking Tooth's eyes grew wide. "Nick, you're freezing! Come inside and warm by the fire..." Something was _horribly _wrong.

Aster was soaked to the bone, shivering. His large floppy ears flat against his skull and emerald eyes glued to the floor. The sorrow in them still visible to the warrior queen of the tooth faries.

Sandy was on the floor, his head to the side not looking at anyone and his eyes again squeezed shut.

And Jack-

"Nicolas?" Toothiana said in a quiet voice, landing in front of her husband, wings folding behind her back. "Nicolas, where is Jack?"

Tooth's hand flew to her mouth when North hung his head. 'No, no, nonono, NO! This wasn't happening! Nicolas said everything would be fine! North said they would be fine!'

"Nicolas where is our son?!"

He couldn't look at her. Not when he had failed her again. Not after failing their son so. North averted his gaze "I... I am sorry my love. When I was with Seraphina, Jack went ice skating with ze children- mal'ch'ik- Our boy saved that little girl from falling through the ice, but- Jack iz gone."

Stunned silence and then,

_Slap!_

"Tooth!" Bunny cried when the queen struck her husband, leaving an angry red hand print on the large man's cheek.

Sandy to gasped silently, an exclamation mark made from his dreamsand above his head.

But North didn't even flinch, the stinging pain emitting from his cheek barely registering. Jack was gone... His boy gone and it was _all __his_ fault! Large eyes, that now failed to see wonder shut, thin trails of tears escaping despite the man's effort to keep it all inside. "Toothiana, I am" sniffle "so so sorry, my love."

"You're lying!" Tooth shrieked wings moving and just like that she was of the ground.

"Sweet Tooth's not gone! My baby can't be death HE'S NOT GONE!" Tooth wanted to fly away, search for her baby boy herself because obviously she couldn't leave that to-to these! They- No! Two strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"No!" Tooth screamed trying to free herself, but North's hug didn't give her the chance. North tightly pressed her against his chest trying to ground her. Tooth did not want to be grounded.

Jack was somewhere out there. Probably scared and cold, and Tooth needed to be there because her little prince needed his mama!

"He's not dead." Tooth sobbed burying her cheek against North's coat. "Please Nick. He can't be gone. H-He can't!" Tears mixed with icy water on the bright red coat and the fairy's crying was no longer pretty.

Heavy sobs wracked her small body. Toothiana wasn't hyperventilating, but she wasn't breathing normal either. Normally the mighty queen wouldn't want to be seen like this. She was proud, but right now she only had one thought running through her head "I want..." '_I want my Sweet Tooth back!_ "Please,-" her breathing hitched

"he can't be gone"

**Author: It's ridiculous how proud I am with the chapter title of this. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It really made me feel like I'm doing something right.**

**It's painful to know that this isn't nearly as sad as it was in my head.**


	6. 300 years

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch6: 300 years.

'These are all so wrong.'

At least that is what Jack Frost thought while tossing the egg he had found up and catching it. He was laying on a high tree branch, a couple of weeks after he... _woke up_? And these eggs had shown up all over the place.

And they were all wrong.

He didn't know why, but they _just_ were! The colors, the patterns and shapes all weren't right! And most of them were in dull colors, faded blue, dark green and almost greylike blues. The ones that seemed right with pastel colors and flowers seemed forced.

Thankfully not black, because '_black is bad!'_ just another thought the winter spirit can't make sense of.

The shapes of the eggs didn't make sense either. Jack had spotted some eggs that had a boy painted on them. A boy with a large grin, blue eyes and messy brown hair. Others had a different boy in tights with a funny hat on them and other eggs had texts like 'he who never grew up' or 'forever young' written on them.

Shouldn't they be more detailed?

What was even more frustrating was that Jack didn't even know why he cared. He had no idea why these eggs bothered him so much.

Jack glanced down to watch the group children, still excitedly searching for more eggs, Easter eggs they called them.

A little black-haired girl picked up an egg, it was decorated in a light shade of pink and blue, you could see that it was worked very hard on, and yet it still had a sad feeling to it. "Maybe the Easter Bunny was sad about something this year." The girl wondered before shrugging and continuing her egg hunt.

Jack to satisfied with the girl's answer got up and called his friend. The one who understood him and all his troubles. Well not all his troubles, the north Wind didn't understand why Jack so often felt like there was something he should remember.

Wind couldn't understand why Jack was comforted when she brought bright-colored bird feathers with her. Wind didn't know why the frost child every night tried to hum a tune and every night got angry when he didn't get it right, even though he didn't know what song it was and why it was important. But it was important!

However wind did understand the boy's loneliness, because un till Jack Frost, no one talked to her. But of most all Wind understood the pain of being walked through. Every day thousands of people walked through wind and tried to fight her, just like every time Jack tried to interact with a child he'd be walked through.

"Wind! Lets visit Russia today!" Russia needed more snow, because Russia had nice long winters. The trip had nothing to do with the fact that Jack really enjoyed the way Russian people spoke. The language... or accent, it was... nice.

**-ROTG-**

Santoff Clausen had gotten so... so damn quiet. Which was weird and not completely true. There was always noise, from yetis creating the toys and doing their jobs or most recently elves screwing around and making a mess of things.

But it wasn't home anymore.

Not with North spending more and more time in his study, creating beautiful, magnificent, _wonderful_ toys from large blocks of ice. Toys he deep down knows, an energetic adventurous blue-eyed boy would have loved. Thinking back to a happy little boy who grew to be excellent, marvelous and great and nothing less.

There is always a bottle of Russian vodka in the room with him.

Tooth visits her old home more often. She checks up on her mini fairies and makes sure all their little nests are comfortable, every time one of the little hummingbird fairies went to sleep Toothiana tucked them in like a good mother.

More often than not the queen fell asleep with a golden canister with the image of a brown-haired boy on it clutched in her hands. The canister that will always be one tooth short.

It is during one of these moments of rest that a nightmare taints her otherwise peaceful dream. She's in a dark forest. A baby's crying, not just any baby. Toothiana is a mother and as a mother she will always always recognize her baby's wails. She was already running, running because for some reason her wings could not carry her.

"Jack!" She screamed when the baby's wails got louder. "Sweet Tooth! Where are you?!" Tooth ran ignoring the pain in her feet, ignoring everything as she focused on finding her crying little prince.

She stumbled on a rock and fell, chest heaving the broken woman sobbed when for some reason she could not get back up. Jack's fearful cries echoing through the forest and yet his mama couldn't get back up. She had failed him.

"Please." Tooth sobbed pushing herself back up only to have an unseen weight push her back down. "Please..."

Outside her dream Sandy arrived at the Tooth Palace. The bringer of dreams narrowed his eyes when he saw Pitch Black slowly make his way to the sleeping queen.

With no voice to curse and only angry sand images playing above his head to show his feelings Sandy formed whips made of dreamsand, Sandy was about to attack, one whip already high in the air only to be stopped when the Boogeyman held up his palm signaling Sandy to be quiet.

Pitch kept his yellow eyes on the sleeping fairy. Normally he would have grinned at her pained expression, but now he looked at her with an-almost but not quite sad- look on his face.

"I'm trying to call it back."

The meaning of Pitch's words Sandy understood, the reason behind them he did not.

Seeing the confusion on his rival's face Pitch took offense. "I am wounded," he smirked when the confusion on Sandy's face grew. "you believe me to have sunken so low I'd give a nightmare to a grieving mother?"

Sandy doesn't have an answer to that.

**-ROTG-**

Thirty years after Jack's death does Tooth permanently moves back to the Tooth Palace. It should be sad, but it isn't because it goes unnoticed.

Tooth focuses on the teeth, doting over them. The invention of candy making her job harder and her more distracted. So distracted that she doesn't realize that she stopped returning home to her husband.

North notices, doesn't say anything of it. It's his fault their son it dead, he deserves to be left alone. If he hadn't left Jack alone that night... Had he not insisted on going to burgess to visit Seraphina... Nicolas st. North doesn't dwell on those thoughts though.

Instead he throws himself into his work. Creating toys each new toy better than the last, designing and making new inventions. Working hard to make each Christmas better and more extravagant than the last.

Only during the nights when he can't fall asleep, when the lack of feathered body besides him hurts too much and no amount of Russian vodka will make the pain of his lost and broken family go away does North weep. He cries till he's out of tears or till he falls asleep.

Usually it's the latter.

**-ROTG-**

Seventy-three years after Jackson St. North's death Sandy realizes he's still creating dreams of pirate ships, sleigh rides and snowball fights... And that they are being received! If it weren't for the occasional dolphin the child dreamt up Sandy would be suspicious.

But as long as his dreams bring comfort to which ever child whose dreams are so similar to Jack's, Sandy can't complain.

So many children that need good dreams. The Sandman doesn't dwell on it long.

**-ROTG-**

A hundred-and-sixteen years after waking up Jack decides to go to the North pole as opposite to the South pole which he regularly visited to play with penguins. But after listening(but not answering, because Jack _still can't _be heard, seen or touched) to so many parents around the world tell their children about Santa Claus' workshop he wanted to see for himself.

The first time he got there he didn't find the famous workshop, Jack had gotten bored and left because he sensed that Alaska needed a good snowfall.

Jack returned to the North pole a few weeks later and this time he DID find the workshop.

Oh it was huge and way bigger than any parent ever said! It had watch towers and Christmas decorations everywhere!

Finding an open window high up on the third floor of already on a high mountain built building Jack had Wind fly him in. It was just a library and Jack did not visit the place for books, so he went to the door wanting to explore... Just like- someone he didn't remember- would have done.

Only when he opened the door he was met with three large yetis and just like that Jack Frost got thrown out of the place.

Thankfully Wind caught him and made sure to land him safely on a large snow bank, but Jack was too stunned to thank his friend.

Those yetis... They saw him!

They touched him!

And they kicked him out...

Sky blue eyes narrowed, pale face set in determination as Jack smirked.

Oh it was game on now! He **would **get into that workshop!

**-ROTG-**

A hundred-and-seventy-five years after Jackson St North drowned and Jack Frost came to be, something unusual happened. Mother Nature invited her father over.

The moment Pitch arrived he knew something was troubling the woman, parental intuition wasn't really needed with how the woman kept shifting, folding her lips all the while trying to keep her proud posture.

Finally the woman spoke. "Nicolas-"

"Don't tell me you fell for his ways again Seraphina," Pitch said shaking his head and rolling his eyes. His daughter's infatuation had been a dangerous one and even he did not want a repeat of _that_. "Isn't the old saint Nick," Pitch smirked. "too old now." The nightmare king hadn't attacked the guardians in a while, busy experimenting with different kinds of darkness, but he knew North aged like a true wizard, growing old and then stopping with aging completely.

Seraphina did not appreciate her father's humour, but she was too -she wouldn't dare call it nervous- too distracted by what she was about to tell. "Father, Nicolas and Toothiana's son... He died."

"Old news dear."

"But the man in the moon brought him back."

_That_ wasn't old news. In fact it was very... Useful news. "The new winter spirit." He mused mentally calculating back to the day Jackson died. "Do tel, why did the boy not simply return to his parents?"

"He has no memories of his time as a mortal."

The son of the guardian of memories lost his memories? How truly ironic. Pitch could not stop a grin from overtaking his grey face.

"Father no!" Seraphina snapped rising from her throne. "That boy is a seasonal and therefore under my domain. You will NOT have him!"

Pitch didn't simply want to have the boy, but those were thoughts for later. Now he focused on his daughter. "You told me to get rid of your guilt..." He concluded, if possible his grin grew even wider. "You told me instead of confiding in your dear Nicolas. Tell me Sera, is revenge not something fulfilling?"

The king chuckled darkly when Seraphina averted her gaze.

Like father like daughter.

**-ROTG-**

Two-hundred-and-fifty-five years after 'waking up' Jack awoke early, it was Easter again. Over the years he had seen many Easter eggs, never once getting a glimpse of the Easter Bunny.

But this year he had something planned. Because those brightly colored eggs would look so pretty underneath a good layer of snow.

**-ROTG-**

'_Bunny hide eggs in snow!_'

Aster had never gotten around to hiding some of his googies at the pole for Jackie. And now... Seeing his googies barely visible underneath the thick layer of snow, the Easter Bunny got mad.

Forget mad.

The memory of the child he had not saved, who had been family still stung and was not something he wanted to face.

E. Aster Bunnymund was Furious.

On all fours the pooka ran searching for the little pest who made it snow on _his_ holiday. He got the pond. Not just any like, but **the** lake in Burgess. Bunny got there on time to see a blue hooded figure fly away on the wind... Laughter that sounded familiar ran through large ears, but the Pooka was too angry to pay it much tought.

**-ROTG-**

High in the sky the man in the moon watched as four people who once each other's family drifted apart. Watched them as they became colleagues, associates un till they didn't visit each other at all, each of his guardians throwing themself into his or her work, not interacting with a child in years.

Because, as they found out, loving a child could hurt.

Manny watched as one lonely frost child wandered the earth bringing winter, creating havoc and basically still being fun because he was still Jack. Manny watched Jack during moments of hopelessness only being able to provide comfort during the night.

For three hundred years he watched till the Nightmare king decided it was time for his return.

And then did Manny through that crystal in the globe room finally find a way to comunicate to the guardians.


	7. A New Guardian

**Author: I'm not really happy with how this chapter turned out, but that's because the next few chapters are rewrites of the movie which I really don't want to ruin this story seeing your all so happy with it so far.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch7: A New Guardian.

Arriving at the pole Tooth's amethyst eyes soon landed on the large man in red coat in the middle of the globe room talking to Bunny. He had a long white beard, not the messy gross kind of beard but a clean one in the cleanest shade of white... the only thing whiter had to be snow.

The man had the cutest laugh wrinkles at the corners of his large blue eyes... Such wonderful eyes! They sparkled with wonder seeing things like no other could see. And they were so bright and caring... She bets they could be so-so- loving to because his gaze is just so intense and-

STOP! Tooth really needs to stop she's a married woman for goodness sake! What would Nicolas think-

And that's when time finally catches up with her and the queen of the Tooth faries realizes that she hasn't gone home for a very long time.

When was the last time she saw her husband?! Surely she couldn't have gone three centuries without him right? When was the last time she saw any of her friends... The guardian meetings... Those had stopped long ago, then when?

World war II! Tooth remembers how they'd met up briefly. They all had to work so much harder, she especially for with the war going on children needed to be reminded of the good. Bunny to had worked very hard to keep people believing that there was hope. Unlike Bunny, Tooth's work wasn't done after the war. After the war candy became a regular thing and Tooth had needed a whole lot more of mini faries since then.

She hadn't spoken to Nicolas then either. Too busy instructing her faries, telling them which memory boxes needed to be opened and where there were teeth that needed tp be collected.

Tooth already knew it, but just to be sure she looked at the man who was talking to Bunny about black sand on the globe, she looked at his arms. '_Naughty_' tattooed on his left arm with all his impressive decorations around it. Each tatoo a memento to old adventures. '_Nice_' on his right arm and there among the many smaller tattoos was a miniature version of herself on his arm.

Yes, that gorgeous man was most definitely her now older Nicolas St. North, her husband still as handsome as the day they met.

Swallowing the lump in her throat Tooth briefly turns to three of her mini faries waiting for her instructions. "San Diego sector two! Five incisors, a bicuspid and a really loose molar on stand-by." She then flew down. "Nicolas I'm-" But before she can apologize, an apology that would never be good enough for neglecting her husband, Sandy grabbed an elf and vigorously shook it the bell chiming gaining everyone's attention.

With everyone now looking at him Sandy created an image of a crescent moon above his head and point upwards. Looking up all four guardians now see the shaft of moonlight as it concentrates on the circle on the floor between them.

"Ah man in moon! Sandy, why didn't you say something?" North laughed walking closer to circle on the floor that was being lit up by the moonbeams. The Russian didn't see dreamsand smoke shoot out of Sandy's ears. "It's been a long time old friend!" North said looking up at the moon. "What is big news?"

The big four looked at the floor, the center with the intense spot of moonlight. Moonlight that slowly started to ebb away, leaving a dark spot which formed the silhouette of none other than Pitch Black.

"It _is_ Pitch." Bunnymund breathed narrowing his green eyes when North send him a smug look while patting his now rather large belly.

"Manny, what should we do?" North asked not sure what kind of answer he is expecting.

In answer the silhouette of Pitch disappears and a pillar with a large blue crystal on it rose from the floor.

"Guys, you know what this means?" Tooth asked, head darting to each of her companions.

Suddenly the moon's light refracts through the gem casting a blueish light all over the globe room.

"He's choosing a new guardian." North realized already large eyes growing wide. If the man in the moon thought they needed backup against Pitch than the situation must be worse than he had original thought. "Must be big deal, Manny thinks we need help."

As Aster continuously chants 'Please not the groundhog, please not the groundhog' Tooth finds herself thinking similar thoughts regarding Mother Nature. What did Seraphina know about making children happy anyway? Plus she would not help take down her own father. That was proven when North tried t get her on their side centuries ago. Damn wedding crashing twi-

A bright flash of light interrupted the queen's thoughts. Wind blew through the globe room coming from an unknown source and a hooded figure with a crooked staff in his hands, made of light appeared over the crystal. A single name echoed through each of the guardians' heads.

_Jack Frost._

"Ah I take it back. Groundhog's fine." Bunny said waving his paws at the image as if trying to make it go away.

Pursing her lips Tooth looked at the Pooka. "You met him?" She asked tilting her head. All she really knew about Jack Frost was that he was Old Man Winter's replacement and from what she heard from her mini faries, that he had teeth that sparkled like freshly fallen snow, which Toothiana knew wasn't true. There was only person with teeth like that and he was gone.

"Not really..." Bunny answered her question looking uneasy. "Got a glimpse of him during the blizzard of 68." The rabbit sneered. "Still need to pay the brat back for messing with mah holiday."

"Good," North grinned. "then you go get him. You need yeti to help?"

At first Bunny wanted to decline to offer. He did _not_ need help tracking down the little _'Frostbite' _as Bunnymund had started calling the winter spirit in his head after the blizzard. But on the other hand what was more satisfying than watching someone you disliked being stuffed in a sack by two of North's large yetis and tossed through a magical portal?

**-ROTG-**

Today had been a good day for Jack. He had played tricks on the people in Russia, given the children of Burgess a snow day and taken the kid, Jamie on a _proper_ sleigh ride! If he hadn't forgotten about that sofa than the day still would be great.

Thanks to that stupid sofa Jamie lost a tooth. Which wasn't as bad as he felt it was, because children lost teeth all the time. But that tooth made the kids forget about all their fun in the snow, and teeth meant not forgetting.

He had made it snow for hours after that and now he was on the roof, his hood up as he watched Jamie and Sophie get tucked in by their mom. Watching families interact always left him with mixed feelings. In a way it comforts him for easonshe doesn't understand, but the longing he gets from it, makes him feel even worse than how he started.

With a pensive look on his pale face Jack made his way to the roof's peak and cast his gaze skyward getting a full view of the full moon as its golden rays lighting up the night sky.

The man in the moon... Jack doesn't know much of the great powerful being that watches over the world at night, nothing but that it put him here for reasons that the boy after 300 years still doesn't understand.

Three-hundred years and still he's being walked through. He's still alone and something is still _missing_. "If there's something I'm doing wrong..." Jack exhaled slowly bright eyes trained on the moon. "Can you, can you just tell me what it is?"

There's no response. There's never a response, but Jack still tries because even after so many years, bad days, hopeless nights when the moonbeams couldn't provide comfort, even after all that Jack's still an optimist. He doesn't let the bad days keep him down for long.

So Jack tries.

"I've tried everything, and no one ever sees me." Sighing sadly Jack sat down on the roof, not once did he look away from the moon. There was a limit to optimism and Jack was reaching it at an ever slow pace. "You put me here, the least you can do is tell me," this is where his voice cracked and Jack swallows a sob, he doesn't know for who he's holding it all back.

What he does know it that he's alone and he's tired of being walked through.

"Tell me why..."

Of course there's no answer. Scowling Jack got up and jumped of the roof easily landing on a telephone wire. The wire freezes on the places his bare feet touch, nothing new.

Something wooshes past his head, a shadowy figure of some sorts.

"Whoa!" _That_ was something new! Jack ran over the telephone wires and jumped onto a nearby roof to investigate and again, something flies, or is thrown behind him. Jumping down he landed, crouched on a truck. A tiny chuckle escaped him when the car alarm was activated.

When heard another loud sound the boy leaped of the truck, alert and scanning the area Jack backed away into an alleyway-

"Hello, mate."

Gasping Jack whirled around, staff gripped tightly between thing fingers, ready to strike. He squinted trying to see the person casually leaning against the wall. Just when he thinks he has to attack, the person steps into the light.

"Been a long time. Blizzard of 68, I believe. Easter Sunday wasn't it?" The large grey rabbit asked casually flipping his boomerangs around.

Completely bewildered Jack stared at the rabbit trying to figure out what to make out of this. Blizzard on Easter... '_It's the large yelling thing!_' He realized remembering the Easter the rabbit was talking about. He had fled laughing when someone ran to him.

"Easter Bunny?" Jack said with a small breathless laugh, he planted the end of his staff on the ground and casually leant on it. "You're not still mad about that..." With his free hand the spirit of winter pushed his hood down messing up already messy white hair. "are ya?" He asked tilting his head at the rabbit.

"Ye-" Bunny's voice caught in his throat when the boy took his hood off and he got a good look of the boy's face. Emerald eyes grew and large ears bent downwards.

Those eyes...

No, that couldn't be- Deathly pale and white hair so obviouly it wasn't- it wasn't- b-b-but that face!

"Jackie?" The old nickname rolls over his tongue without Bunny's consent and Jack Frost just looks confused.

Bunny opened his mouth to demand what the bloody hell is going on, why-how does the winter spirit look so much like Jacks St North. But apparently the two yetis he had taken with him had enough of waiting in the shadows and came from their hiding place.

"Hey!" Jack protested when he is suddenly snatched up by a huge fury hand. The other yeti holds the sack open and Jack is throw head first into the bright red sack.

One of the yetis wipes out a snowglobe and smashes it onto the ground opening the portal.

"Wait you blood gallahs it's- It's Frost!" Bunny cried when they threw the sack through the portal.

Of course it was Jack Frost! But was he Jack St. North? No, of course not! Jack St. North died 300 years ago!

But who ever this was just got sent through a magical portal to Santoff Clausen and the last thing North and Tooth needed was to be confronted by some shapeshifting prankster wearing their dead son's face.

Stomping on the ground twice and opening a tunnel Bunnymund jumped in to it disappearing along with the rabbit hole. In it's place was a yellow dandelion on the ground.

**-ROTG-**

The sack landed in the room with a small thump. Jack struggled to open the sack which was thankfully opened by two elves who peaked inside only giving him enough room to look at his new location, but not for him to get out. He sees large black boots and red pants and a brightly decorated room, but that's it.

"There he is!" A heavy Russian accented voice said. "Jack Frost!"

Bunny jumps out of his tunnel crying out "North wait!"

But the ex-cossack was already shooing the elves away giving Jack the space he needed to get out. "I hope the yetis treated you well."

Crawling out of the sack Jack was immediately lifted to his feet by the same two yetis who stuffed him in the sack in the first place. "Sure," Jack muttered straightening his blue hoodie while also gaining his balance on the floor. "I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magical portal." He said finally looking up, this gave all the guardians a good view of his face.

And everyone in the room fell quiet.

**Author: I know you all hate me for ending the chapter **_**here**_** of all places, but it wouldn't flow on natural if I kept on going.**

**I am curious, what do you guys think will happen next?**


	8. Jack's Lateral Incisor

**Author: Oh my god the story passed the 100 review mark! I'm so happy! Thank you all so much! Some of you actually got really close to guessing what will happen.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch8: Jack's Lateral Incisor.

No one moved or said anything, well except Jack who lazily swung his staff to freeze an elf that for some reason ran towards him. Jack barely notices the eerie silence the room has fallen into, to busy looking around the room.

He hadn't snuck into the globe room, never made it this far. Only the study and libraries. But never more than that.

Bunnymund is silently watching Jack with a guarded expression. Whatever move the shapeshifting trickster had in mind, it would not go past the Easter Bunny.

Sandy was more confused than anything else. Unlike Bunnymund the bringer of dreams doesn't believe the oh so familiar looking boy to be some shapeshifter. His mind goes to the dreams of pirate ships and sleigh rides that would still be received.

Never had those dreams stopped... Was it possible that the boy in front of them could be _their_ Jack? Had the man in the moon saved Jack that night at the pond? If so then why hadn't the boy come to them? Why let them believe him to be dead?

Eyes never leaving the spirit North's hand automatically went for the hilt of his sword ready to server the imposter's head for what he had done. How DARE this winter spirit taint the memory of his son!

But before the guardian of wonder could do anything Tooth flew forward. Hands locking on the pale jaws in a matter of seconds, the feathered woman ignored the way the boy flinched at the contact, instead she focused on prying Jack's jaw open.

"Oh..." She breathed looking at the _perfectly_ white teeth. Teeth that could only be white like that because... Because his mom was very stern on dental hygiene. "They really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow." Tooth whispered, her amethyst eyes landed on one tooth that was signficantly smaller than the others. A baby tooth.

A lateral incisor. The same tooth Jack-_her_ Jack never lost. Folding her lips Tooth touched the incisor, eyes fluttering shut as she used her powers to view the memories that the tooth held in it.

Naturally the first memory she saw was from when Bunny caught Jack in that alley. Toothiana did not have the time to view all memories so she skimmed through them. Memories of snow, travels, snowball fights, watching people interact but not being apart of anything. Memories of snowmen, forests, lonely days, moon gazing and being walked through played in front of Tooth's closed eyes. Not in full detail, just flashes.

Eventually she reached the very first memory of the tooth, a memory of rising from a frozen pond being comforted by the light of the moon. There was no memory of _anything_ before that.

Eyes shooting open Tooth let go of Jack's jaw, her arms falling limply at her sides. "Jack?" She asked flying a step back her voice high. "Jack do you have any idea who we are?"

"F'course" Jack's answered, his voice muffled with him still rubbing his jaw.

Every shoulder minus his own tensed at Jack's words. Of course North, Bunny and Sandy knew what the queen had just done... Did she know if this was their Jack? No she would have reacted differently right? But why would she ask if he knew them if it wasn't their Jack?

And if he knew them then why hadn't he come to them sooner?

North didn't notice it, but his breathing was turning harsher. Was Jack about to confirm his fears, had the boy stayed away because he didn't want to be near them after North left him alone in Burgess?

"You're the Tooth fairy, Santa Claus, Sandman," Jack answered when the feeling returned to his jaw, looking at each of the guardians as he addressed them. He smirked, blue eyes landing on Bunnymund. "_And _the Easter kangaroo."

"The what?!" Bunny cried indignantly, not realizing he was reacting the same way he had when Jack first called him a kangaroo at the last new year celebration Jack had spend with his family. "I am not a kangaroo mate!" Bunny said in a low voice, marching up to the blue-eyed teen.

"But clearly you _are _a kidnapper." Jack drawled, doing a backflip and making it look painfully easy Jack landed on a dresser. "Anyone wanna tell me why I'm here?" He asked when there no longer was a six-foot tall rabbit infiltrating his personal space.

Rather unsure Sandy began forming sand images, a bundled up baby, a snowflake, a crescent moon were there among other sand images all being shown at a way to fast pace for Jack to even try understand them.

While Jack played a guessing games with the Sandman Tooth flew to Bunnymund. "Aster tell Jack about him being choosing by Manny to be a guardian, but nothing on, you know..."

Aster's eyes grew wide at Tooth's instruction. Her words confirmed it, as did her shaky tone. Jack Frost was Jack St. North. The fairy didn't give Bunny a chance to ask why he couldn't bring up the past, demand where Frostbite-Jackie(this was already harder than he though) had been all these year. Before the pooka could even open his mouth to ask Tooth already flew of.

"Nicolas!" Tooth cried flying on eye level with her husband. "It's him Nick! It's him!" She silently shrieked doing her best to not be noticed by Jack. "The incisor! So small and it's still so perfect!"

North watched her with worried blue eyes. Of course he wanted it to be true, but he- if it wasn't- if it turned out to be some trickster shapeshifted to hurt them... North wasn't sure if he could handle that. But if it was Jack-_their_ Jack- then he had been around all this time- without them. "Angel Moy," and Tooth shuddered, it had been so long since she had been called that. "how can you know? If is trick then-"

"His incisor Nick." Tooth quietly cut him of, a hand on his shoulder and the other on his chest toying with a few strands of North's beard. She had missed so much... "Jack still has one baby tooth, the one Sweet Tooth never lost. Only I go over children's teeth. No shapeshifter could know that he still has that baby tooth. And I watched the memories-"

Suddenly Tooth is no longer happy. Lowering herself a little the fairy wraps her arms around North's neck burying her head against his broad chest. It's been a long time since she felt as loved as when he wrapped his arms around her. "Oh Nicolas! He was so alone! He needed us a-a-and we weren't there!"

Holding his wife close North isn't sure what he's feeling hope, relief, fear? Not just regarding their boy either. Toothiana is hugging him and being close to him again, but the cossack isn't sure if it's because they might have their boy back or if she- She hates him. She hates him, blames him for Jack's death that's why she left the North Pole. North's sure of it.

Jack must hate him to. Why else would he have stayed away for so long...?

"Why did he not just come home then?" North forced out.

"He... He really died Nicolas..." Tooth said looking down. "When Manny pulled him out of the pond... His memories were gone... His memories!" Tooth pulled herself free from North's hug. "I need to get his teeth container from the Tooth Palace so he can view his memories!" She cried flying up bit higher. "We have our baby back Nicolas!" With that last barely contained shriek the fairy flew off, leaving the workshop through the window flying at a top speed.

Just seconds after she was gone Bunny and Sandy finished telling Jack the reason he was brought to the pole. North knew that because the winter spirit suddenly slammed his staff down sending a blast of frost and wind across the room. Blowing Sandy's latest sand image away and messing up Bunny's fur.

"What makes you think I want to be a guardian?"

"Of course you do." North stated stepping between the three. He put a hand on Jack's shoulder feeling a pang in his chest when the boy finches. The winter- t_heir _boy really was touch starved. Had he really been lost and alone all this time? "Jack. Walk with me."

He's surprised when Jack looks up at him, sighs but nodded.

North led Jack to the elevator, which very much resembled a Christmas ornament, one that was already decorated and with extra tinsel.

"It's nothing personal North," Jack started, he knew the man's real name from Bunny's quick summary on why he was here. "what you guys do... It's just not me. You're all hard work and deadlines." He said making a face. "I'm snowballs and fun times."

When they reached the factory part of the workshop Jack used his staff to launch himself over the railing of the elevator. He flew up a bit higher admiring things before deciding it was better to be on the ground with some yetis testing flying toys and all.

North couldn't help but smile sadly. For years the toys were made to meet the liking of one person, and judging by Jack's wide at look, the glee and wonder on the boy's face, it was clear that the guardian of wonder had not failed in that.

"What makes you think being guardian iz no fun?"

"You four are hidden away somewhere all the time." Jack answered, more honestly than the spirit would have liked himself, but with all the wonderous toys around and watching the yetis do their jobs, Jack was too distracted to really think his answers through. "What fun is it to work real hard to bribe kids into believing and then still be alone?"

Jack's answer came as a surprise to North. Being a guardian did not mean living in solitude. Where had Jack gotten that crazy idea from. The guardians were a family. Sure they hadn't seen each other in a while but- Three centuries? North inhaled sharply realizing the truth behind Jack's words.

Not one of the guardian had interacted with each other for nearly 300 years, not only that but not one of them had interacted with a child since Jack-

"Slow down, wouldja?" Jack's voice cut through North's thoughts, the voice filled with childish excitement. "I've been trying to bust in here for years, I want a good look."

He hadn't even noticed he was still walking...-trying to bust in for years? "What you mean, bust in?"

"Oh, don't worry, I never got past yetis." Jack answered still looking everywhere taking in the amazing place. He bumped into a rather large yeti which let out a series of grumbles in yetish.

Jack smirked recognizing the yeti from all his many failed attempts at busting into the workshop. "Oh, hey Phil."

One first name basis with the head of security... How many times had Jack tried to get into the workshop? How many chances had North missed? Suddenly all North can see is those missed chances "Вы глупые идиоты!" The cossack bellowed. "Why you not let him in! I could have- идиоты!" It was rare for usual jolly man to raise his voice, let alone display such rage.

"бессильной дураков!"

All yetis had stopped working to watch their boss with wide shocked eyes, nearly all elves were cowering in fear, but North didn't stop. His face was red with rage as insult after insult flowed from his mouth.

How many times had he gotten the chance to save Jack from the loneliness? His boy all alone! "дура-

"North stop it!"

"No! You could have gotten in! You could have been here all this time! Why did I not notice sooner?!"

"North, it's okay..." Jack tried again to calm the large man down. This wasn't right, North wasn't like this... "Don't be so hard on them." He said when North finally looked at him and was no longer glaring at his yetis. "They were just doing their jobs, and I didn't mind that they didn't let me in. It-it's kind of a game between us. They are just better at it than I am."

Could this day get any weirder? Kidnaped by the Easter Bunny, have the Tooth fairy practicaly try to climb into his mouth, being told he was chosen to be a guardian and now Jack was trying to calm Santa Claus down. This was the most he ever interacted with anyone and Jack was too busy trying to figure out what the heck was going on with everyone to really appreciate it.

"It's okay North, really."

North stared at the boy. He was calling being shunned by the few that could see him, interact with him, okay. After 300 years the boy was still so... so Jack. Even if the child could not remember it.

Their Jack, alone for 300 years.

"Oh Moy mal'ch'ik..." North breathed out, he would have lifted the boy from the ground and hugged him tightly, as tight as the strong man could, had Bunny not run up to them.

"We have a problem, mate!" Bunny cried getting up from all fours. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

North's blue eyes narrowed, face hardening. Pitch dared to attack his wife, the boogie man knew better... With all this feelings North could really use a punching bag. And if Pitch even dared to harm his anger than North planned on demonstrating why he once was a _feared_ bandit king. "To the sleigh!"

Jack watched as Jack stormed through the factory and through a set of large doors, Bunny following not too far behind and Sandy, after waving his hand at Jack to signal the boy in following them, wasn't far behind either.

Huffing Jack followed them till they were at some sort of garage carved in an ice tunnel. "North! I told you, I'm not going with you guys! There is no way I'm climbing into some rickety old-" Jack stopped when he suddenly heard the sound of hooves and beastly snorting.

A large door opens and twelve reindeer march out of the garage, their hooves leaving marks on the floor. The reindeer pulled along a _huge_ shiny sled that- How was that a sled? It was so big! Huge and it looked like a mix with some sort of army helicopter and a snow mobile and it was so- so... right.

"Sleigh..." Jack finished his sentence staring at the sled fighting of the huge grin that desperately wants to form on his face, because _that's_ what a sleigh is supposed to be!

He backed away when the reindeer nearly knocked him over, some yetis were busy with last-minute preparations but Jack's eyes never left the vehicle. "Alright," It takes all his self-control not to run into the sleigh, bounce in excitement, but Jack manages it. "one ride, but that's it." Then he finally gives in and climbs aboard.

North smiled knowingly. "Everyone loves the sleigh." But no one loved it as much as Jack.

**Author: Not really the happy reunion you guys had in mind, don't worry you will get that, I just got a few things planned before that. I really enjoy writing the NorthxTooth moments, I might have gone a little soap opera on them this chapter though...**

**When North's yelling at the yetis he says "Stupid idiots!" "Idiots!" and "Impotent fools!" and of course "Moy mal'ch'ik" means My Boy as Russian term of endearment.**

**Also just to clear something up, Tooth honestly forgot to go home when she buried herself in her work and taking care of her mini faries. North just thinks she left him and blames him for Jack's death.**

**Sadder note: my spring break is over so I don't think I'll be able to manage daily updates anymore. Sorry guys.**


	9. That little voice

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch9: That little voice in the back of your head.

"Aww... You do care."

"Oh rack of ya bloody showpony!"

Breathing a sigh of relief when Jack turned out to be safely lounging on the sleigh's skid, North pulled on the reins encouraging his reindeer to pick up speed. The rabbit may not know it, but Jack's little prank had somehow made him relax... Well not relax but at least he's no longer clawing at the sides of the sleigh trying to find his 'happy place'.

And North now personally knows how Tooth must have felt when he let Jack fly the sleigh. On the other hand Jack couldn't fly back than so she might have had it a little worse.

Flight... Seemed to be something Jack had always wanted for his own. And the boy was a natural, perhaps it is because his mother is the last of the sisters of flight. The Russian prefered that to the answer which he knew was the truth. Jack had had plenty of time to practise flight.

Three hundred years too many.

Stopping that line of thought before it could send him into another fit of rage, rage at the world, at the moon, at his yetis and most of all himself, North pulled out a snow globe from his large red coat and holds it close to his mouth.

"I say, Tooth Palace."

Over the years the snow globes had improved greatly. Now there would appear an image of its destination, so who ever used it could be sure that they'd end up in the right place.

North threw the globe in the air and a large vortex appeared and they flew straight through it.

The moment the sleigh came out its hyperdrive that came with going through a snow globe vortexes the four find themselves in the middle of... a war zone. A war zone sounds dangerously close to a correct description of the Tooth Palace's situation.

Hundreds of mini-fairies and streaks of black jet past the sleigh, the creatures of black sand make it look like some sort of meteor storm. North yanked on the reins to veer the sleigh to pass the oncoming nightmares.

"What are they?!" North demanded, but no one had an answer. Bunny ducked away and Sandy made an umbrella out of dreams and to prevent himself and Bunny from being hit by the black creatures. The creature dissolved into black sand the moment it touched Sandy's golden umbrella.

Jack didn't have as much of a problem seeing what was going on as Bunny, North or Sandy. For some reason his eyes could still see the fairies that moved way too fast to be anything but green blurs, saw them fly for the lives for black horses- Black horses that were gulping the mini-fairies down and trapping them in their rib cages!

'Heh rib-_cages_' Under any other circumstances Jack would have found the humour in that. Not this time though. "They're taking the mini-fairies!"

Looking up Jack spots a lone fairy with a Nightmare snapping its jaws at her heels. Jack leaped up, with precise precision and grabs the little fairy before the nightmare can snatch her away.

When he landed back down in the sleigh Jack carefully opened his hand to reveal a small mini fairy cowering in his cold palms, one eye blue and the other purple.

"Hey little Baby Tooth," Jack quietly greeted the little fairy, voice gentle as is the small relieved smile on his face. "you okay?"

Baby Tooth nods her little head feeling safe in the hands of the boy whose smile is so much like her queen's.

When they get closer to the actual palace North's eyes narrowed when he spots more nightmares who not only had his wife's mini-fairies locked in their ribcages but also many golden teeth containers as well.

What were those beasts doing to his wife's palace? Where was Toothiana?! North could not sit and wait for answers. Getting up he pushed the reins of the sleigh in the only other person on the planet that knew the basics on flying the sleigh. The person who had no memories of his life before becoming a spirit. "Here, take over!" He cried handing Jack who blinked in confusion, the reins of the sleigh.

Inhaling sharply Bunny turns his emerald glare to North. If the blighter can't even remember his own parents how does North think Jack will be able to fly the sleigh? Was the old cossack trying to get them all killed?!

But the look North gives him shuts Bunny up before the pooka even opened his mouth. It was the same look Tooth had given him when he got to watch Jack for the first time, when she asked him to watch Jack. North needs to be sure Tooth's safe and Jack's back and doesn't remember him so the Russian wills his friend to understand with this single harsh look in otherwise jolly blue eyes.

So Bunny finds himself nodding. "We got this mate," he said glancing at Jack whose face is scrunched up in concentration as he tries to manouver the sleigh past all the pillars and avoid being hit by nightmares. "you go find her."

With given permission North pulls out his swords and leaped of the sleigh jumping ontop the nearest nightmare and jumping from that one to the next all the while slicing through the last nightmare before jumping onto the next.

The first nightmare North sliced through desvolved into black sand, the teeth containers that were stuck in the horse's ribcage fell out and landed with loud clatters on the wooden floor of the sleigh.

Bunny grabbed one of the three golden containers that landed on the sleigh, eyes narrowing. "They're stealing the teeth!" The pooka warrior cried sharing a look with Sandy. Those teeth were Tooth's life's work. They contained the most important memories of childhood, how could they continue to guard children if they didn't get that extra push to fall back onto happier memories?

Emerald eyes landed on Jack. Tooth had left the Pole to retrieve Jack's baby teeth so he could watch his memories and hopefully remember them, that much Bunny figured. But was it a coincidence that Pitch had chosen this precise moment to take the teeth?

'This is so cool!' Jack didn't really show it, the situation was too dire for that, but on the inside he was pumped up with excitement. He was flying Santa's sleigh! And surprisingly good at it to. So far he had managd to avoid all nightmares running to them and Jack honestly wasn't sure how he was doing it.

It was like there was someone giving him instructions, someone... in the back of his mind.

When North let out a loud battle cry a few feet ahead of the sleigh Jack inhaled sharply when the imaginary person giving him instructions suddenly gained a voice.

'_Steady, that's right Moy __mal'ch'ik. Keep reins steady, reindeer vill get confused if it's too loose. You are natural! Iz very good Jack_'

"Jack, look out!"

Opening his eyes,(when had he even closed them?) Jack gasped when he realized he was flying the sleigh straight to a high pillar. With a surprised cry Jack pulled on the reins forcing the reindeer to the left.

It's a close call but the sleigh misses the pillar and skids to a rough stop on one of the platforms.

Jack's face scrunched up in discomfort when he felt a dull throb in his head, like his brain was literally trying to fight something of.

That voice- Jack shook his head already dismissing it. In 300 years he heard many voices some falser than others, this probably was just a vague recollection of hearing someone else... That or maybe he was going crazy.

After all, who heard voices telling them to- to-to... The winter spirit sighed when he realized he couldn't even recall what the voice had said.

He heard the sound of shifting sand and when he looked up Jack saw Sandy standing in front of him with a worried look plastered on his golden face. It's the first time that someone worries over him and Jack isn't sure what to say.

"I'm fine Sandy." Jack answered with a small smile on his pale face after a small moment of staring at the Sandman while opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land. "Is Tooth alright?"

Sandy's expression turned grim as he pointed to a higher pillar and Jack can see the feathered fairy flying around her frustration clear. There were no more nightmares to take that frustration out on.

North is at her side trying in vain to calm her down.

"They, they took my fairies! And the teeth! All of them!" Tooth cried paying no attention to Bunny who just jumped onto the platform nor does she give North the chance to grab her arm. She's to busy flying around in frustration. "Everything is gone! Everything!" With that frustration filled, angered cry does the realization finally hit the queen and she sank down to her knees.

They took everything! Her army... the mini-fairies gone, as were the teeth. She lost everything.

It's not just that either. Jack's baby teeth were gone to! Her chance of getting her Sweet Tooth's memories back and she failed at that! Again she was failing her family.

On the lower platform, standing besides Sandy, Jack watches as Bunny and North try to comfort the distraught fairy, but she won't even look. There's something very wrong with the image of Tooth on her knees.

The Tooth fairy being upset at all was something that bothered Jack. Not just bothered but disturbed him.

Not everything was lost though. Jack carefully pulled Baby Tooth who was hidden in his hood out. "Make her smile." He instructed the little fairy, because Jack knows that a snowflake won't cut it this time.

Baby Tooth chirped in delight not at all bothered with following the prince's order- Prince? Baby Tooth ignored that thought and darted over to her queen.

"Oh thank goodness!" Tooth cried when Baby Tooth flew into her line of vision. She smiled when her mini-fairy landed in her hands. "One of you is alright!"

"I have to say, this is _very_, _very _exciting."

The sinister voice echoed through the palace and they all looked up to see none other than Pitch Black on the platform above them. The Boogeyman stood high above them with a satisfied smirk on his grey face. "The Big Four, all in one place. I'm a little star-struck." He then turned his smirk to North. "Did you like my show on the globe, North? Got you all together, didn't I?"

Face set in determination and mostly fueled by anger Tooth darted towards Pitch. "Pitch you have exactly thirty seconds to return my fairies and the teeth-" Before she can even finish her threat Pitch disappeared into the shadows re-appearing on a different tower near one of the tooth box columns.

"Or what?" Pitch taunted, the angered look on the queen's face was starting to annoy him. Yet he added to it "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?"

"Why are you doing this?" North demanded, no answer would make up for the nightmare king's actions, but they needed to know.

"Maybe I want you have." Pitch's answer is hateful, voice growing lower and darker. "To be believed in!"

Sandy did not miss how Jack tensed up at Pitch's words.

Again Pitch faded into the shadows, this time he re-appeared on the platform where North and Bunny were standing on. "Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds."

"Maybe that's were you belong." Bunny snarled, he moved to lunge at Pitch, but the boogie man vanished again.

"Oh, go suck an egg rabbit."

Following Pitch's voice Bunny walked to the edge of the platform and looked down. He found Pitch smirking back at him. When Pitch turned his head his smirk grew tenfold and Bunny frowned. Pitch was up to something.

To be safe the boogie man disappeared again, it wouldn't be good to be near the cossack for his next revelation.

"Hang on... Is that Jack _Frost__._ Since when are you all so chummy?" The way he emphasis on the word Frost made one thing clear.

Pitch _knew_.

All this time Jack had been out there and their greatest enemy had known.

Of course, Jack still didn't know. "We're not." Jack quietly answered.

In the sky Tooth flinched fighting the urge to curl up.

The winter spirit held his staff ready for any attack, he slowly turned around where he heard Pitch's voice come from. He found Pitch leaning his arms on an opening in the thin wall.

"A neutral party." Pitch mused sounding almost bored. "Then I'm going to ignore you. But, you must be used to that by now."

North had his swords ready and the Russian was more than willing to use them, but at Pitch's comment the cossack froze, for just one second. That's what too much rage can do.

That's why it was Aster who charged forwards leaping down from the higher platform and running towards Pitch. "Pitch! You shadow sneaking ratbag!" The Easter Bunny who was very protective of second family cried grabbing one of his boomerangs. "Come here!"

Pitch blended into the shadows on the ground and was gone before Bunny reached him. Bunny didn't get the chance to even search for the nightmare king, Tooth suddenly snatched the boomerang from his paw and flew, at a speed only she could manage towards Pitch yelling a loud battle cry.

"Ayaah!"

Pitch looked at the nearing fairy and then, before she can reach him, a huge nightmare appeared out of nowhere and reared up at her. Tooth gasped flying backwards.

"Easy, girl, easy." Pitch cooed at the riled up mare as he draws a wisp of black sand from his favorite nightmare, Onyx's mane, twirls it in his palm, and turns toward Sandy. "Look familiar, Sandman? Took me a while to perfect this little trick. Turning dreams into Nightmares."

When Onyx reeled back on her hind legs keening loudly Pitch grinned. "Don't be so nervous," He told the guardians. "It only rills them up. They smell fear." There was a touch of dark humour twisted into his words.

Humour that was most definitely not appreciated.

"Fear of what?" Bunny challenged. "Of you!? No one's been afraid of you since the Dark Ages!"

Pitch's yellow eyes flash in anger but then he smiled. "Oh, the dark ages..." The Boogie man almost moaned with nostalgia. "Everyone frightened. Miserable. Such happy times for me. Oh, the power I wielded!"

The happy nostalgia left Pitch leaving him with an empty look on his face. "But then the Man in the Moon chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light! Lifting their hearts! And giving them hope!

Meanwhile, everyone wrote me off as just a bad dream! 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of! There's no such thing as the Boogeyman!'" Pitch said voice low as he imitated the many parents who had mocked him so many times.

He leaned forward, glaring at the four guardians, how he would enjoy having them at his mercy. This time they would be the ones to lose everything. "Well, that is all about to change!"

Behind Pitch one of the columns of the Palace began to crack and crumble, like it was... decaying.

Hands flying to her mouth Tooth landed on the platform where North still was. Amethyst eyes stuck on the crumbling walls. The fairy was older than the mountains on earth and her palace even older than her... Not once had she spotted a crack on the walls.

"Oh look," Pitch was delighted and he showed it through smugness. "it's happening already."

"What is?" Jack asked looking from Tooth, to the wall, to Pitch and then at Tooth again.

"Children are waking up and realizing the Tooth Fairy never came." Pitch answered still smug. "I mean such a little thing, but to a child..." He almost laughed at the growing horror on Toothiana's face. He was sure Seraphina would enjoy that look to, despite what she would say. Deep down his daughter would like it for the fairy to suffer...

Again it disturbed Jack to see Toothiana like that. "What's going on?!" He demanded this time at Pitch seeing he was the only one who gave him straight answers. "Tooth?" He tried again turning to her.

Tooth was still looking at the crumbling wall. "They," swallow "they don't believe in me anymore." The queen quietly answered.

"Didn't they tell you, Jack?" Pitch spoke, voice loud, because on the inside the boogie man was already celebrating his victory. "It's great being a Guardian... but there's a catch." He said holding up a finger for emphasis. "If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect... wonder, hopes and dreams - it all goes away. And little by little, so do they." Pitch said, clenching his fist as if crushing the guardians in his palm.

'He wants to kill them' Jack realized blue eyes growing wide. Other spirits had tried to kill him, but he was a winter spirit he could be missed. Pitch planned on destroying the guardians of childhood!

"Oh, but don't you worry Jack. They already know the feeling of what's coming." Pitch continued eyes going back to the guardians and his smirk grew. "The guardians failed a child before. Just ask Nicolas or dear Toothiana."

'Oh hell no! Pitch did not seriously say that!' Growling Bunny threw his boomerang at Pitch, who quickly ducked away. When the boomerang flew back Pitch jumped onto Onyx's back and let the nightmare carry him down the platform.

Bunny threw an egg grenade at Pitch just before the boogeyman and his nightmare and it would have hit the man right on his head had Pitch not chosen this moment to disappear into the shadows.

**Author: Not the best chapter I know, but the next chapters will be more action-y... I hope : ( There are three or four chapters left so I really hope it will be good.**

**The absolute worst thing in the whole world is seeing your mom cry and be sad. Even now Jack can't stand it.**

**Just curious, would any of you like it if I did spinoff of this on how Tooth and North got together and with Mother Nature crashing their wedding? Not saying that I'm going to write it, but I'm playing with the idea.**


	10. No Good Dreams Left

**Author: This chapter can also be called Magiccatpincess' attempt to rewrite action scenes, not ruin the movie's plot and not losing my own plot :S Sorry for any grammar mistakes.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch10: No Good Dreams Left.

Bunnymund, North and Sandy dived after Pitch, unfortunately the nightmare king was already gone when they landed on the ground. "He's gone." North grimly stated the obvious.

Aster grunted putting his boomerangs back in their holsters. "Alright I admit it," the pooka told North, his ears flattening. "you were right about Pitch."

"This is one time I wish I was wrong." North replied putting his swords away.

The cossack and the Easter Bunny both enjoyed their mock arguments, even though their last one was years ago. Their arguments, usually pointless, were amusing because they could go on for hours, neither of the two wiling to admit they're wrong. Bunny saying North was right would have been a great feat if his wife hadn't needed to suffer for it. "But he will pay." North said nodding.

Jack didn't pay the three male guardians any attention. The boy, who had winter poured into him flew down to the ground where Tooth was on her knees in the grass clutching an empty teeth container to her test.

The fairy had her eyes clenched shut so she didn't notice Jack crouching down besides her un till the winter spirit spoke up. "I'm sorry about the fairies."

With a silent gasp Tooth turned to Jack, her little prince who didn't even recognize her. The strong warior queen didn't even try to smile. "You should have seen them." She said, no longer her bubbly self, defeat leaving her with a bitter taste in her mouth. "They put up such a fight." Tooth said eyes drifting back to the teeth container now in her lap.

"Why would Pitch take the teeth?" Jack asked glancing at Baby Tooth who sat on the broken remains of a teeth container.

Because Pitch wants to hurt us! You're my baby and don't remember! You needed your baby teeth to watch your memories! Because I'm useless without my fairies, I can't guard my own child and now I failed all the children! "It's not the teeth he wants Sweet-..y" Tooth answered knowing she couldn't tell Jack. She had seen some of Jack's memories and she knows there is no way he'd believe them if they tell him the truth.

300 years on his own had damaged her baby and there's nothing the mother can do about it. Jack would think they were telling a lie.

A horrible, despicable lie.

Because everyone always lies.

Dear moon, that's how Jack thinks now isn't it?

Even while she felt like she was slowly dying on the inside Tooth managed to keep her voice steady as she started her explanation. "It's the memories inside." At Jack's puzzled look Tooth got up and led Jack to her mural.

When she's flying above her undeep pond Tooth hesitates, Jack drowned! Sweet Tooth should hate water! Just when she's about to fly over to him Jack follows her the water freezing under his feet with every step he took.

Even _that_ he didn't remember... And for a moment Tooth is relieved, her relief is lost when she realized they would also be forcing him to re- to relive his death.

"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack." Tooth continued once she found her voice again. "They hold the most important memories of childhood. My fairies and I watch over them and when someone needs to remember what's important, we help them." But they hadn't. Not with Jack.

Jack unaware of Tooth's troubled, took a moment to admire the artwork on the mural. That's when Tooth said the words that surprised him so.

"We had everyone's here. Yours to."

"My memories?" Jack asks turning back to Tooth. His head is tilted to the side showing both confusion and curiosity.

Already prepared for the question Toothiana had her answer ready. "From before you became Jack Frost." Because she would not lie to him. Not now, not afer so long... Just no.

For a moment Jack just stared at her, face scrunched up as he tries to make sense of her words. "But... I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost...?" He doesn't mean to make it sound like a question, but it somehow does anyway.

'Yes you were!' And all Tooth wants is wrap her boy in her arms and go back home. Let Pitch have his victory. She can't though. Pitch has Jack's teeth. All the teeth and her fairies.

The queen has an oath to keep. "Of course you were Sweet-..y" Again the same mistake. "We were all someone before we were chosen."

Everyone is quiet, the other male guardians now to have their eyes on Jack as the youth tries to process the information.

"You should have seen Bunny!" North suddenly laughed. A fake laugh in attempt to distract Jack.

"Hey, I told you never to mention that!" Bunny cried holding his fist threatened at North. Bunny is in on it though. Aster before becoming a guardian was the same Pooka that he is now, he didn't change appearance like Jack.

But god knew the kid enjoyed humour at the rabbit warrior's expense so Bunny played along with North's playful jibe.

Their well meant attempt did nothing.

Jack still looked immensely confused and almost terrified to. Everything he thought he knew now seemed wrong. He was just the boy from the pond right...? "That night at the pond...I just, I assumed...Are you saying, are you saying I had a life before that? With a home? And a family?"

Using his control of the wind Jack flew back to the land where he immediately started pacing. "All these years, and the answers were right here. If I find my memories, then I'll know why I'm here." '_What I'm missing..._' Jack doesn't say it, but he wonders if he'll remember the song that at the same time is gone and at the same time is still here. "If I remember I-"

Suddenly Tooth is in front of him, her hands gripping his shoulders, creating wrinkles in his blue hoodie. "Jack, listen to me." And Jack does, because defying her for some reason doesn't seem like an option. "Jack I promise you that we will get your memories back. It will be alright." She smiled at him to give him courage and just as she lets go of his shoulders a patch of her feathers fall out.

Jack gasped looking at the feathers that slowly floated down to land on the grass. Glancing up behind Tooth, the winter spirit can see the mural begin to disintegrate, the painted picture of Toothiana and her helpers slowly turning black.

"The children..." Tooth whispered watching her beautiful mural turn into something dark. "I-It's too late."

"No!" North cried refusing the mere thought of the belief in his angel to be dying out. "No! No such thing as too late!" The large Russian pulled out his sabers and started pacing. There had to be another way- "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Idea! HAHH" North cried aiming his sword way too close to Bunny for the pooka's liking.

Sandy, Bunny and Jack watch the gleeful guardian. Obviously he had lost his mind right?

"We will collect the teeth!"

Obviously.

"What?" Tooth asked mind racing as she considered her husband's absurd idea.

Nicolas St. North would not be put down. "We get teeth! Children keep believing in you!"

"We're talking seven continents! Millions of kids!"

Too stuborn and kind to accept help. That's how he fell in love with her. "Give me break! You know how many toys I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny added smirking.

Buzzing with excitement Tooth looked at Sandy, her old friend gives an enthusiastic thumbs up. The queen then looked at Jack who smirked.

"I'm in."

**-ROTG-**

He was traveling by chimney and it wasn't Christmas. The once king of bandits laughed loudly as he used his breaking and entering skills to travel across the rooftops of Shanghai. "Quickly! Quickly!"

"Hop to it rabbit, I'm five teeth ahead!" Jack called out flying along the the rooftop where Bunnymund was running on.

In reply Bunny sent him a teasing smirk. "Yeah right, look, I'd tell you to stay outta my way, but really what's the point, because you won't be able to keep up _anyway_."

Jack paused and then a huge grin overtook his face. "Is that a challenge cottontail?"

It was most definetly their Jack, still searching for ways to bug, tease and baiscaly annoy Aster. And boy did the pooka love having it back. "Oh, you don't wanna race a rabbit, mate." Lets see if the powers gave Jack an actual chance in for once beating the rabbit.

Probably not.

"A race?" North repeated voice filled with excitement. "Is it a race?" North jumped into one chimney, then shoots out of another across the way. "This is going to be-" He disappeared down yet another chimney and then emerged with a bang out the top of another.

"EPIC!"

Tooth was just as- No more excited to be out in the field than anyone else.

She's in what Bunny once called 'hummingbird overdrive' something which makes hyperactive four-year olds on sugar rush look calm. "Four bicuspids over there! An incisor two blocks east! Is that a molar? They're EVERYWHERE!" She's so overwhelmed that she flies right-face first- against a toothpaste billboard.

"Ow!"

Jack jumped onto the billboard doing an amazing job at not laughing at the fairy. "You okay?"

"Fine" Tooth answered her voice filled with indignance as she rubs her reddening nose. "sorry," She then sent Jack an apologetic smile. "it's been a really long time since I've been out in the field."

"How long is a long time?"

"Ah, three hundred and fourteen years... Give or take." Tooth answered rubbing her arm in slight embarrassment. The fairy then jerked to attention, suddenly she has tunnel like vision and her eyes land on a tiny glow under a little girl's pillow marking a freshly planted tooth.

The sound she makes is a mix of a gasp and shriek of delight, and just like that the fairy flew towards the room.

Chuckling, because for some reason this is way more funny than it should be, Jack looks at Baby Tooth who shrugged as if saying 'It's going to be a looong night'

**-ROTG-**

After collecting many teeth, with more than a little cheating on North, Bunny, Sandy and Jack's part, and then leaving gifts because... Yeah whoops they actually forget leaving coins behind for the kids, after all that Jack and Tooth ended in the room of a boy Jack already knew.

"Left central incisor, knocked out in a freak sledding accident." Tooth analyzed from the little tooth she had in between her fingers. "I wonder how that could have happened, hm Jack?" She tilted her head sending Jack a 'look'.

Jack chuckled. He's kneeling on top of Jamie's dressing, near the wall watching a drawing Jamie had made of the epic sleigh ride Jack gave the boy the other day. In retrospect, compared to North's sleigh ride, the sleigh ride he had given Jamie seemed pretty tame. "Kids huh?"

He watches as Tooth reaches under the pillow. She hovers over Jamie when he stirs in his sleep. A far away smile formed on her face as she gazes down at the sleeping boy. The queen is reminded of a smaller boy who slept in a similar position... A similar, but different head with messy brown hair. "I miss this." Tooth whispered hugging herself.

assuming she's talking about field work Jack says "It's a little different up close huh?"

Tooth doesn't reply.

Luckily she doesn't have to. There's a sudden commotion outside and Jack and Tooth turn to the window to see North struggle to get inside carrying his large red sack. After the cossack is inside Sandy easily flies in through the large window.

"Here you are!"

"Shhhs!" Tooth hissed holding one finger to her lips while gesturing to the still sleeping Jamie Bennet.

"How you feeling Angel moy?" North asked brushing Tooth's hiss aside.

Tooth smiled flying up a bit higher. "Believed in." With a small laugh the fairy flew to North resting her hands on his shoulders. For a moment the couple just looked each other in the eyes.

Amethyst eyes stared into big blue eyes exchanging more than the pair had done in the past 300 years.

"Nicolas," Toothiana whispered, surprised at how overwhelming those eyes still are. "I-"

"Oh I see how it is..." A rabbit hole opened on the wooden floorboards and Bunnymund stepped out of it. "All working together to make sure the rabbit gets last place."

"Shhhs!" North and Tooth hissed at the pooka, Sandy shut the pooka an annoyed look.

Grinning Jack reached for a middle-sized red sack he had left on Jamie's dresser. "You think I need help to beat a bunny? Check it out, Peter Cottontail." He said proudly showing of the bag.

Bunny gave Jack an unimpressed look. "Ya call that a bag of choppers?" He asked lifting up his own larger sack filled with teeth. "Naw that's a bag of choppers."

Chuckling North stepped up between Jack and Bunny. "Gentlemen! Gentlemen! This is about Tooth. It's not a competition! But if it was..." North held up his own sack, the same sack that on Christmas eve would be filled with toys now was filled with teeth. "I win. YEEEEEHAAAH-"

North's victory dance is cut short when a light is suddenly pointed at him.

The guardians now have a flashlight pointed at them like they are some sort of wanted criminals.

Sitting up on his bed, wide awake Jamie whispers "Santa Clause..." Clearly shocked. It's to be expected. The plan had been to stay awake so he see the Tooth fairy.

"The Easter Bunny?...Sandman..." Jamie whispered moving his flashlight to each of the guardians as he addressed them. Bunny smiled- grimaced in greeting while Sandy waved. "The Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!" Jamie cried when he finally saw the feathered woman.

"Surprise!" Tooth giggled. This was new even for her, not once before had she ever been caught. "We came!"

Jack stared at Jamie, eyes wide. "He can see us?"

Ears lowering Bunny glanced at Jack. "Most of us." He answered confusing Jamie, the little boy wondering who the Easter Bunny was talking to.

"Guys, he's still awake." Tooth whispered her voice urgent, none of the guardians really knew how to act with a child to get him to sleep now.

"Sandy! Knock 'im out!" Bunny ordered.

Face setting in a determined hard look Sandy stepped forward slamming his fist against his palm.

"With the dreamsand, ya gumby!" Aster hissed barely not palming his forehead. His loud hiss gained unwanted attention and suddenly Bunny found himself nose to nose with Jamie's greyhound.

"No, stop that's the Easter Bunny." Jamie protested pulling on his dog's red collar trying to get her to calm down. "What are you doing, Abbey? Down!"

Swallowing Aster waved his paw at the others. "Alright, nobody panic." He said despite being the only one suppressing an upcoming panic attack.

The Easter kangaroo afraid of a dog? Smirking Jack tilted his head and looked at the dog. "But that's a um, that's a greyhound. Do you know what greyhounds do to rabbits?" Oh he loved this! Bunny actually tensed up.

"I think it's a pretty safe bet he's never met a rabbit like me," Bunny said, his eyes didn't leave the dog so he didn't see Sandy forming a ball of dreamsand _or_ Jack looking at the alarm clock on Jamie's nightstand a growing grin on his pale face. "Six-foot one, nerves of steel, master of tai-chi and the ancient art of-"

The winter spirit just couldn't ressist. He reached for the alarm clock and with one flick of his staff Jack set the alarm of.

"Crickey."

Bunny was off like a shot, the greyhound right on his tail, running laps in the small room, barking like crazzy.

Amused Sandy made a dreamsand baseball. He could not stop the grin on his face. All his stories had definitely done their job and turned Jack in a master prankster. Something the Sandman plans on taking full credit for and advantage off once everything is settled.

Tooth tried to turn the alarm of getting more and more annoyed with North and Jack who both laughed loudly at Bunny's expense. Sandy prepared to throw his ball of dreamsand at Abbey to get the dog to calm down, that's when Abbey jumped passed North knocking the Russian back who in turn knocked the ball of dreamsand from Sandy's hands.

"Guys!" Tooth cried fed up with everyone laughing, this was a bed situation. "This not proper Tooth fairy behaviour!"

The dreamsand ball flew towards North who ducked away, the ball sailed past him and hit Tooth right in the face exploding into multiple streams of dreamsand. Tooth fell to the floor golden teeth taking shape above her head.

Aster was still running for his life. "Ah, this thing's rabid! Get this dingo off me!" A whiff of dreamsand landed on his face. Carrots of dreamsand were already taking shape above his head. "Aw no." Bunnymund muttered trying to fight of the sleep. To no avail, with loud thud the pooka smacked onto the ground fast asleep. Abbey fell asleep besides him.

North tries to scramble out of the way from a trail of dreamsand, but there's no escape in the tiny room. "Candy canes." Santa Claus smiled sleepily at the golden candy canes that appeared above him, then he fell like a giant Sequoia, landing on the end of Jamie's bed, which send Jamie catapulting through the air.

"Whooa!" Jamie cried laughing with excitement when he landed safely in Sandy's arms where a fistful of dreamsand was thrown in his face sending him straight of to dreamland.

Jack and Sandy both breathe a sigh in relief when Jamie's finally asleep. Then they looked around, realizing there's a heap of sleeping, snoring bodies on the floor.

Jack smiled innocently when Sandy shot him a half amused half annoyed look. "Whoops."

In his sleep Bunny snuggled closer to North's leg. One of the carrots above Aster's head came to life and grabbed one of the candy canes from North's dream and started dancing.

Giggling Jack jumped of the dresser were had gotten on to avoid being hit by flying dreamsand. He bit his fingers trying to stop his unmanly giggles. "Oh I really wish I head a camara right now." He told Sandy who smiled in return.

Suddenly Sandy's eyes widden. Seeing the sudden change in his friend Jack turned around gasping when he saw a nightmare staring at him through the window. The black sand made horse screeched and ran away when she realized she had been discovered. Without hesitation Jack jumped out of the window to chase the horse.

"Sandy, c'mon! We can find Pitch." Jack's voice echoed from outside when the Sandman didn't follow immediatly.

He really should wake the others... Jack probably wasn't experienced in combat... On the other hand Jack was right, they should hurry before they lose the trail. Sandy nodded to himself before floating out of the window, the unsure look still on his face.

Had Sandy and Jack known more about teeth than they would have know that the golden teeth floating above Tooth's head were lateral incisors. If they did then they would have woken the queen.

_S_he's in a forest, not the same forest as in her nightmares, no this time queen Toothiana found herself in the forest near the Burgess pond. Everything is snow-covered, a blizzard is going on, strong and powerful. In the far distance she can hear a voice.

"_Can anyone hear me?!_"

Tooth knew that voice.

"_Please! Someone! I don't want to be alone anymore!_"

'Jack!' Tooth tried to call out, "Sweet Tooth I'm here!" but she had no voice. She wasn't in this memory so she was forced to listen to her child's cries while the boy's distress, his pain fuelled the storm. High up in the sky Jack, two years in his immortality cried, tears streaming down his cheeks freezing against them.

"Jack!" Tooth woke with a start. Waking up just a second after a magical portal closed behind her. "Jack." She whispered realizing that hadn't been an ordinary dream.

Never had she touched a tooth with so many years of memories. Jack's incisor would be influencing her dreams for a long, long time.

Still shaking the feathered woman crawled over to her husband. "Nick." Tooth whispered to not wake Jamie up. "Nicolas wake up!"

**-ROTG-**

The one nightmare Jack followed had turned into two. Not that Jack minded. The winter child cheered and laughed running across the rooftops following the black horses. The boy parkours from one rooftop to another laughing when Sandy used a golden sand made whip to attack one of the nightmares.

Hot on the heels of the Nightmare, Jack flew through town. It made a sharp turn down an alleyway and Jack was quick to follow. The nightmare then veered up the wall of the alley and onto a rooftop. Jack whipped a blast from his staff and to his ultimate delight, hit the nightmare before it disappeared from the winter spirit's field of view.

"I got it!" Jack bounced on the balls of his feet. Whooping in excitement Jack flew up the roof where there lies a frozen pile of blacksand. "Sandy! Sandy, did you see that?! Look at this thing!" Suddenly Jack can feel eyes on his back.

Despite not knowing who it is, over the past three centuries Jack's made quite a few enemies of his own, Jack blasts a wave of ice at the boogieman who easily dodged the blast, disappearing into the shadows and re-appearing behind Jack on the adjoining roof.

"You know, for a 'neutral party' you spend an awful lot of time with those weirdos." Pitch observed, voice not quite mocking but close to it. "This isn't your fight, Jack."

Glaring icy daggers at Pitch, Jack holds his staff close to his body ready to strike and ready to defend at the same time. "You made it my fight when you stole those teeth!"

At that Pitch smirked. 'Fighting for mommy dearest aren't you?'

"Why do you care Jack?" Pitch practical purred. "You've never cared about the lot of them and their 'responsibilities' before." Pitch said making quoting marks with his fingers at the word 'responsibilities. "And neither have they Jack. Left you alone... 300 years Jack. Not one guardian to guard you..." Oh the boogeyman grinned when he saw his words take effect.

Jack's fighting stance slowly dropped, his eyes on the ground.

"You see Jack they don't-" Before Pitch can finish a dreamsand whip streams towards him forcing him to duck and dodge Sandy's sudden attack.

"Whoa!" Jack breathed watching as Sandy calmly attacked the boogeyman. Pitch didn't stand a chance.

Forming a huge black sickle out of black sand Pitch swung it towards the sandman who just lowered his head a bit to avoid being hit. Sandy then quickly grabbed Pitch with one of his whips yanked him off his feet followed by slamming him repeatedly against the tops of the buildings around them until finally throwing him off the rooftop.

Dusting of his hands Sandy smiled at a very astonished looking Jack as he floated down the rooftop.

Small but deadly, Jack decided nodding to himself with a small grin on his face. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

On the ground Pitch was trying to shake of his not so friendly crash landing. When he saw a pair of golden feet land in front of him the nightmare king hurriedly scrambled to his feet. "Okay, easy! You can't blame me for trying, Sandy." Pitch cowered holding his hands up and waving them to calm the approaching Sandman.

"You don't know what it's like to be weak and hated. It was stupid of me to mess with your dreams. So I'll tell you what-" Suddenly Pitch's whole demeanor changed. He straightened up, his expression dark and his voice turns low. "You can have 'em back."

Before Jack or Sandy can react, a nightmare shoots up through a storm drain and several other nightmares appear from the alley behind him. More and more nightmares came from every which possible direction and soon Jack and Sandy found themselves surrounded.

Okay... So maybe taking off while the others were still asleep had not been such a great idea... Jack eyed the hundreds of nightmares warily. More than a bit worried Jack looked at Sandy "You take the ones on the left, I'll take the ones on the right?"

As a reply Sandy send Jack a half-hearted shrug and a grimace that was supposed to be a smile.

Underneath Pitch, the man's favorite nightmare appeared. The mare reeled up snarling on its hind legs. Leaning forward Pitch whispered one thing, one thing he would always be associated with.

"Boo"

Which apparently also counted as 'Nightmares attack' nice code word. The nightmares charged, that's when they all heard the distant sound of sleigh bells ringing.

Looking up Jack spotted the sleigh high up in the sky. Still looking up Jack gasps when Sandy propels the two of them into the air with a stream of dreamsand and launches them away from the Nightmares. Jack quickly oriented himself and knocks an oncoming Nightmare with his staff.

In the air Jack had it far easier aiming blasts of ice at all the upcoming nightmares. Just when a swarm of nightmares got too big for his liking Tooth suddenly flew through the swarm of Nightmares, slicing them apart with her wings, causing them combust into black sand. "You alright Jack?"

Mentally reminding himself that this is a different kind of fight from what he's used to Jack slowly nodded before flying up higher, he stays close to the sleigh to help vent the nightmares off.

On the ground Pitch commanded Onyx to fly him up. Closer and closer to where Sanderson is high up in he clouds, floating on his own golden dream cloud and using his whips trying to fend off the mass of nightmares.

The little man isn't even aware of the nightmare king in the air behind him. Pitch stretched his arms as an arrow nightmare sand forms in his hands.

Sandy might not be aware of the upcoming danger but his fellow guardians and Jack can see that the amount of nightmares are overwhelming him.

"We gotta help Sandy!" Jack cried panic working its way in his voice.

The sleigh flies, but there's only so fast the vehicle can go with so many nightmares in its path. This is when Pitch releases the arrow and the guardians can do nothing but watch on horrified as the arrow exploded upon making impact in Sandy's back.

Jack has always been alone, and on nights when the moon didn't shine Jack always found comfort in watching the golden streams of dreamsand light up the night sky. The winter child can _not_ handle losing that.

So that's why Jack leaped of the sleigh and flew straight towards Sandy screaming "Nooo!" completely ignoring North's yell of "Moy mal'ch'ik please wait!"

Above them Pitch relished his moment of triumph, watching as Sandy fell to his knees, the patch of blackness on his back spreading through his small body. "Don't try to fight it little man." Pitch cackled, his voice then went softer. "I'd say sweet dreams, but there aren't any left."

At those words Sandy got back to his feet. He would not give Pitch the satisfaction of watching him suffer. No, Sandy did not want to die and yes, he had regrets, but Sandy would go down a fighter and not try to outrun fate.

Tortuously slow are Sandy and his golden dream cloud consumed by the writhing blackness of the nightmare sand. Nothing of the beautiful dreamsand remains.

And Pitch is far beyond delighted. Laughing, cackling and all but jumping. His plan actually worked! Pitch then noticed Jack flying towards him. The winter spirit is clenching his staff which is glowing bright blue with energy. Powerful energy fueled by the child's emotions.

Raising a hand Pitch send a massive tidal wave of nightmare sand towards Jack who hovered in the air for a moment realizing that he's in way over his head. He can't go back, all the nightmares that had previously been attacking the sleigh and stopping the guardians from reaching Sandy were now all running towards Jack.

The black sand and nightmares begin to overtake him and Jack disappears in the mass of darkness. For a moment there is nothing but darkness and silence. Silence followed by a loud battle cry.

A gust of freezing wind emitted from the black mass that entrapped Jack, followed by a massive wave of ice and frost that rockets back up the stream of nightmare sand going straight back up to its source. Right back towards Pith where it explodes in a sea of ice and snow, the force of the explosion blowing the boogieman miles and miles away.

The nightmare sand now gone Jack fell from the sky, his staff still in his hand but Wind couldn't carry the unconscious child or give any form of assistance during the frightening free fall.

Wind didn't have to. A blur of green jetted through the air to Jack's rescue.

"Please, please please be okay" Tooth chanted over and over again flying Jack back to the sleigh. The fairy is hyperventilating as she puts her son down on the sleigh.

Tooth almost can't breath- because- Oh dear moon and the stars above not again! Please not again! "J-Jack?!" She shrieked shaking Jack's shoulder to wake him up. "Jack wake up!"

She slumps against North shoulder when the boy's eyes open.

**Author: Again not so great I know, but don't worry. I know you'll like the upcoming 2(maybe 3) chapters.**


	11. Memories plus Wonder equals Snowflakes?

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch11: Memories + Wonder = Special Snowflakes?

"_Let the flames begin!"_

_"That pun alone is a reason for you to lose." _Jack shook his head in mock sadness and charged forward to attack the fire spirit knowing full well that he didn't stand a chance.

With a small gasp Tooth bolted up. Blinking the sleepiness away the queen looked around taking in her surroundings. She was in the globe room, North's red jacket wrapped over her like a blanket. She must have fallen asleep after Sandy's memorial.

"Nightmare?"

Tooth hadn't even noticed Bunny sitting on the floor besides her until the pooka spoke up. She flashed him a tired smile that didn't reach her eyes. "The whole situation feels like a nightmare." She sighed resting her chin on the large red coat that covered her small body. "And sometimes it feels like a dream come true. Sweet Tooth's back, but..."

"But at the same time he ain't." Bunny finished when the fairy paused.

Tooth nodded looking down at her knees again. "My god... 300 years Aster. How could I-"

"You didn't know sheila." Bunny interrupted his friend refusing to let her friend blame herself. Centuries ago he saved her from the adults who hunted her down for her wings, now he needed save her from herself. "You and North didn't know. Ya couldn't have known."

"Nicolas!" Tooth's voice was shrill as she pushed her husband's coat of her and flew up. "Nicolas must feel terrible! What if he blames himself? I've neglected him what if-"

"Toothiana!"

Bunny's cry put a halt to Tooth's jumbled rambling. "Nick's with the bloke right now. Jackie's alright, the kid blames himself for what happened to Sandy so North went to talk to him."

Once she had collected herself Tooth averted her gaze from the pooka again.

"Just hold on a little longer Tooth. I know it's hard, but don'tcha dare give up hope."

Looking at her friend Tooth bit her lower lip and nodded.

**-ROTG-**

No more dolphins, no more pirate ships and adventures on a far away dream islands. Jack sat on the window sill in the living room nearest to the globe room, hood up to hide his face, hide away from the world. No one could see his teary eyes or how the winter child every once in a while would bite his lower lip to keep sobs from escaping.

The song would be great right now... The song of which Jack still wasn't sure if it went na-na-na or na-naa-na. Hugging his knees a little tighter Jack rest his head on them and gazed outside the window. Sullenly he tapped the glass with his finger creating a frosty silhouette of Sandy.

"Are you alright?"

Jack didn't look away, his blue eyes still fixated on the image of Sandy he had just created. He didn't need to turn his head to know that it was North standing besides him. The Russian accent and booming voice(even when gentle) made it an easy guess.

For some reason being near North hurt to. Being around all the guardians hurt... Not hurt exactly, but it for some reason disturbed him. confused him and made his head hurt because Jack's so sure he's missing something.

Jack's always been sure that _something _is missing.

That _something_ felt more and more apparent for the past day that he spent with the guardians. "I just," breathing out a sigh Jack stopped himself and changed his words. He wasn't going to lie to North, but he wasn't going to bring up _that_. "I wish I could have done something."

"Done something?" North repeated disbelief coating his words. "Moy mal'ch'ik, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us."

Turning his head Jack met the older man's eyes "But Sandy-" Jack stops when North put a hand on his shoulder, and the boy really tried to hide his flinch.

"Would be proud." North felt something in his chest snap at the emotions just above the surface in those sky colored eyes that once were so carefree. "We all are."

And for some reason that was more uplifting than it should have been. To Jack at least who can't stop a small smile forming on his blue tinted lips. The moment was ruined when they heard someone cry out.

Both instantly recognizing the cry belonging to Tooth were on their way to the globe room. When they got inside they easily spotted what caused the fairy to cry out.

The large rotating globe in the room, beautiful and magnificent showed lights going out at a dangerous fast speed.

Using his staff to push himself of the ground Jack flew up, above the globe he could see the lights going out even better. The globe, with less and less lights seemed so... So dark. "It's fear." Jack realized. "Pitch tipped the balance." He said turning back to North and Tooth who had drifted closer to each other, Tooth gripping North's arm.

There was no way around the tension in the room.

With Sandy gone, the nightmares taking over children's dreams everywhere and the lights going out it really seemed hopele-

"Hey, buck up ya sad-sacks. Come on! We can still turn this around!" Bunny cried hopping to them and getting back up when he was in the middle of the small, smaller than it should be, group. "Easter is tomorrow and I need your help. I say we pull out all the stops and we get those little lights flickering again!"

E. Aster Bunnymund was not the guardian of hope for nothing. Bunny smirked when North started making his way to the elevator muttering "Bunny is right".

Jack with a small chuckle out of mirth followed after North.

They all got into the elevator, even Tooth who could just fly down to the factory part of the workshop, instead she choose to stay close to her boys.

"As much as it pains me to say old friend," North said his voice grave "this time Easter is more important than Christmas." He said getting out of the elevator when they reached the factory.

Bunny stood there frozen then his ears perked up and large grin formed on his furry face. "Hey! Did everyone hear that?!"

Jack snickered quietly at the pooka's reaction. "Hear what flopsy?" He asked casually walking past Bunny, a smirk on his pale face.

"We must hurry to the Warren." North continued, still walking with the Tooth fairy hovering near his right shoulder. "Everyone, to the sleigh!"

Getting on all fours Bunny easily got in front of the large Russian before the man could take another step forward. The surprise on his old friend's face made his grin widen. "Ohh no, mate. My warren my rules. Buckle up."

Bunny directed everyone's attention to the floor before he tapped on it with his foot.

Understanding what would happen North breathed "Shostakovich!" When the tunnel opened the cossack grabbed the nearest thing he could reach to prevent from falling down the tunnel, which unfortunately were his wife's tail feathers. The large man ended up dragging the fairy down the tunnels with him, Jack and a yeti.

Aster waited for Baby Tooth to fly down the tunnel and let a random elf jump in the tunnel for the heck of it, before jumping down the rabbit hole himself. Last to jump in and first to reach the Warren. You really didn't want to race a rabbit, especially not in the rabbit's own tunnels.

Used to ice slides Jack had great fun sliding down the tunnel, so he landed easily, both feet planting on the soft grass of the Warren. Tooth was back in the air as soon as she was out of the tunnel, a bit disoriented, but she was giggling from the experience so she was fine. Baby Tooth immediately flew to be near her queen.

Unlike them, North and his yeti came to a crashing halt out of the tunnel, elf kringle even landed upside down.

"Buckle up" North laughed pushing himself up. "is very funny."

"Wow..." Jack breathed looking around the place. Never in his tree-hundred years had the winter spirit seen so much green! Trees, every kind that grew in spring, flowers most of he didn't recognize and some that he did.

Smirking at the kid's stunned expression Bunny hopped forward standing in front of his friend, between two large egg golems. "Welcome to the Warren-" Bunny cut himself, rising up, ears high and nose twitching Bunny's emerald gaze looked around. "Something is up!"

At this and hearing the faint sound of someone screaming in the depths of one of the tunnels had them all on alert. North grabbed his swords, Jack readied his staff, the yeti pulled out his own pointy weapon and when Bunny had his boomerangs ready the group charged forward all bellowing a loud battle cry.

Untill little two-year old Sophie Bennet came running out bringing a halt to their charge, Bunny held his arms to the side to prevent the others from accidentally attacking the child.

Seeing the guardians also brought a halt to Sophie's excited squeal, flabbergasted she dropped the three egglets she had been carying in her little arms. The little eggs instantly ran to Bunny like ducklings hiding behind their mother.

Weapons were quickly hidden when they realized Pitch wasn't attacking.

"Sophie?" Jack asked recognizing the toddler as Jamie's little sister.

The little blonde girl giggled when she spotted Kringle. "Elf, elf, elf!" She cheered and started chasing the unsuspecting elf who cried out in fear and ran to escape the tiny terror.

Trying to calm his little googies down Bunny asked "What is she doing here?!"

Messing with his coat North's eyes widened when he realized he was one snowglobe short. "Snowglobe" The Russian winced with embarrassment.

"Crikey!" Bunny cursed when more of his googies ran to hide behind him. "Somebody do something!"

"Don't look at me," Jack said flashing them a smug toothy grin, he held his hands up in surrender. "I'm invisible remember." The fact that he could say that without his voice breaking showed how used to being invisible he was. Jack flew up and landed on a stone golem enjoying the guardians shocked expressions as they watched Sophie drag Kringle across the ground by the bell of his pointy hat.

The elf send Bunny pleading look, silently asking for help as he dragged across the floor.

Tooth looked from Jack to Sophie and nodded to herself, "Don't worry Bunny, I bet she's a fairy fan." She sang flying to Sophie, "It's okay little one." She cooed gaining the toddler's attention.

Bright green eyes grew, shining bright in delight when she saw the feathered woman. "Pretty..." Sophie breathed staring up at the queen.

"Awww!" Tooth smiled flying down. "You know what, I got something for you." Humming she reached for something hidden in the small brown bag she had hidden near her wings. "Here it is." Toothiana chirped showing the two-year-old the three pearly white teeth with little red specks on them near the roots. "Look at all the pretty teeth with little blood and gum on them!"

When the pretty fairy cooed at bloody teeth and gum Sophie reacted like any normal little girl would react. She ran away screaming... for a short while before she got distracted again by more wandering eggs.

Laughing Jack tilted his head to look at the now pouting Tooth fairy. "Blood and gums?" He tried to stop giggling, he really did. "When was the last time any of you actually hung out with kids?"

300 years, two months and one day ago to be precise.

The excuse they had used for years was already on the three guardians' minds. They all had very important jobs to do and sometimes it was easier to focus on that than on children who would forget about them when they grew up or children who drowned... "We are very busy bringing joy to children!" North answered Jack's question. "We don't have time..." The Russian's face fell, Tooth covered her mouth with her hands in surprise at the cold realization and Bunny turned away from the egglets to stare at North as the cossack finished his sentence shock clearly plastered all over his face. "...for children."

But they once had. They had time for a child once... 300 years, two months and one day ago.

Jack was surprised with the forlorn look the guardians all suddenly had. Deciding to help out Jack formed a snowflake, a perfect snowflake. "If one little kid can ruin Easter, then..." He rolled the snowflake between his finger(in a way very similar as to what Tooth did with a coin before she'd softly plant it underneath a child's pillow) "Then we're in worse shape than I thought." he said letting the snowflake float.

The destination was already planned, so no mater that little Sophie Bennet chased it, the delicate snowflake still found its target. Bunnymund's pink nose where it dissolved, blue lights lighting up around Bunny's nose and eyes and just like that the pooka's concerns melted away with the snowflake and Aster is filled with unknown giddiness and the intense need to have fun. The kind of fun he hadn't had in...

300 years, two months and one day.

The six-foot tall rabbit warrior dropped to all fours and went to where Sophie was kneeling near a beautiful red flower. The two watched the flower as it opened up revealing an egg growing on the inside. He smiled proudly when Sophie awed at the beautiful sight. "Wanna paint some eggs?" He asked getting up and holding out his hand.

"Okay!" Sophie cheered happily bouncing up and down before taking the Easter Bunny's hand/paw and let him guide her. That's when Bunny recalled something from long ago. Grinning Aster scooped the girl up, put her on his shoulders, dropped to all fours and started running.

Much to Sophie's delight. "Weeeee!

Aster to enjoyed himself "Woohoo!"

To think, one little snowflake had been enough to get the pooka to let his guard down.

North and Jack both stared at the thousands of unpainted eggs that ran through the meadow, both slack-jawed. "Rimsky Korsakov!" North cried straightening up. "That's a lot of eggs."

"Uh, how much time do we have?" Jack asked now high up on a pear tree.

"Alright troops it's time to push back!" Bunny ordered the thousand and thousands of eggs who all obeyed loyally. The elf Kringle, standing among them, a hand near his head like a military salute. "That means eggs everywhere!"

The rabbit assigned tasks to all his comrades. The yeti, elf and Baby Tooth would help with the painting. North would keep the unpainted eggs in line and Tooth and Jack would herd the finished eggs from the painting area.

From his place on a rock North laughed loudly and waved at little Sophie who was laying on her back and being carried by the egglets past the sorting stones. He was gazing at the eggs, but the Russian's mind was elsewhere.

That snowflake his boy created, the wizard and inventor in him wanted to know how they worked.

North looked at Bunny who was having a great time playing with Sophie. Bunnymund hadn't acted like this since...

Since they lost Jack. More so when Jack was younger and later the two became best friends, bickering buddies and play fight partners.

So maybe Jack's magic was similar to his mother's. Maybe that snowflake reminded Bunny of fun times from the past and made the pooka want to act like that again.

On the other hand, the pooka's excitement seemed similar to how children would act on Christmas morning. Bunny always got enthusiastic for his holiday and this time he was really enjoying himself, cheering with joy and really having fun preparing Easter.

So maybe Jack's power was like his dad's. Bring out the wonder in people and make them act on it.

When Sophie had fallen asleep, Bunny lifted her onto his lap smiling down at her when the little girl snuggled against his soft fur. That's when Jack walked over and sat down besides Bunny, keeping a decent amount of space between them. In worry in case he needed to escape or to stop more confusion, the winter child wasn't sure.

Because watching Bunny play with Sophie had been... odd. Deja vu did not even begin to cover it and it left Jack with another headache. Still Jack was proud that he got the grumpy ol' kangaroo to loosen up.

Jack still hadn't made up his mind about joining the guardians. The confusion and headaches couldn't be worth it and Jack had _not_ spend 300 years alone to end up hiding somewhere in the world thinking of ways to bribe kids.

On the other hand, the guardians did have amazing homes. The workshop had been even better than Jack pictured it, the Tooth Palace breath taking and now the Warren...

Jack smiled admiring the view from their spot on the hill, they could see the beautifully painted eggs make their way to the many tunnels. "Not bad..."

"Not bad yerself." Bunny smiled at him, the smile proud and relieved because not all things were as lost as they seemed and Jack helped with reminding them that. Bunny was a guardian and yet this was the first time he had fun with a kid in centuries and that all thanks to his old favorite child. Of course Jack didn't see that.

The frost child was looking at the sleeping Sophie in Bunnymund's arms with a far away look in his sky blue eyes. Again the déjà vu... No that wasn't right... This didn't make sense! But he was missing something. Something had always been missing! B-but...

_"Time for ya ta take a kip kiddo. Ya can look for more eggs when yer rested."_

_"-look at 'im all tuckered out."_

His head hurt again, just like it had at the Tooth Palace. His mind feeling like his brain was trying to fight something off. A painful throbbing accompanied by an uncomfortable sensation at the back of his head.

"Kid? You okay?"

Opening his eyes Jack blinked a couple of times before focusing on Bunnymund who was looking at him with a concerned expression. Weird... Two people worrying about him in two days. His own personal record. "Yeah" Jack answered uncertainly. "Look," He said needing to change the subject and he probably should say it anyway judging by how Bunny had reacted to the comment back at the pole. "I'm sorry about that whole, you know, the 'kangaroo' thing."

To his surprise Bunny chuckled and flashed him a friendly smile. "It's the accent isn't it?"

North and Tooth approached them from behind, the couple staying close to each other unconsciously trying to make up for the lost time.

With North and Tooth standing besides him and a little kid in his arms Bunny is reminded of the first time he got to take Jack to the Warren when the tyke was just two. Jack ended up asleep at the end of the day to. "Ah, poor little ankle-biter." A soft smile on Bunny's face as he gazes at the sleeping child. "Look at her, all tuckered out."

None of the three guardians noticed Jack frown deeply at Bunny's words. The three of them were all reflecting the day and how much could change in just a view hours.

"I think it's time to get her home." Tooth said walking over, just when Bunny handed her Sophie Jack spoke up.

"How about I take her home?" He needed to get away. Ge away from the guardians. Seeing them all together all like- like a family... hurt. Hurt because he wasn't- It didn't matter because he wasn't like them...

"Jack, no!" Tooth protested, a firm shake of her head. She just got her baby back no way was she risking him again. Not ever is she had a say in it. The thing was, that until Jack remembered her she was a stranger to him. Maybe even after he remembered. Those 300 years took away so, so much. "Pitch is-"

"No match for this." Jack interrupted her while proudly twirling his staff in his hands.

Bunny's ears lowered. Just when it almost started to feel like old times... "Which is why we need you here," He said, voice quiet. "with us."

To their surprise North walked over, carefully took Sophie from Bunnymund, walked over to Jack and handed him the sleeping toddler. "Is alright Jack." He had seen how Jack's eyes darted around as if looking for an exit, the way he seemed so restless. Tooth used to get like that when he first met her to.

The need for an escape was there, father Christmas recognized it.

North didn't miss how Jack's eyes growing when Sophie didn't go through him. This probably was the first time he could physically interact with a child.

"Trust me," Jack's voice was distant while he gazed at the small girl in his arms. She didn't believe in him... He could only touch her because she was asleep. That had to be it. He had never done this and Sophie had seen the guardians talk to him, so maybe she did believe in hi- No! Jack stopped his thoughts from going there. If it wasn't true... Well, there was no use to add to the empty feeling in his chest. "I'll be quick as a bunny."

Tooth didn't like it, but she couldn't argue. She didn't have Jack's trust. The fairy swallowed, amethyst eyes on her little prince, who at the same time wasn't like her little prince at all. And that hurt. Hands folded over her chest all the fairy could do, "Be careful." was tell him to be careful.

Flashing her a smile Jack nodded taking flight. "I will."

**Author: I use the movie script for this so I get most of what they say right and during the part where Bunny looks down at sleeping Sophie it literally says 'Bunny's face softens, as if remembering a distant memory'**

**I know they mean he's thinking back to either his own little pooka siblings or maybe his own pooka kit. I don't know if Bunnymund was a dad or how his life was before, but I had to take advantage of the fact that Bunny really was recalling something.**

**Tooth telling Jack to be careful is based on Jack's memory scene from the movie. The last thing Jack's mom says before Jack and his sister go ice skating was "Be careful" and sweet Jack said "We will" foreshadowing... because they weren't careful :'(**


	12. Out of Reach

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch12: Out of Reach

Getting inside the bedroom through the window Jack and Baby Tooth quietly snuck to the bed where Jack tried to put Sophie on her bed, but she turned out to be a very clingy sleeper. Small arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Pushing, pulling, neither seemed to do trick and at one point the frost child nearly fell on top of the toddler before he finally got her to let go and rest on the bed.

Jack and Baby Tooth turned around to leave, wincing when they heard a dull thump.

"Sophie, is that you?"

Eyes widening when he heard Sophie's mom Jack quickly threw a blanket over the girls sprawled out on the floor, added a squeaky stuffed toy and then he and Baby Tooth flew out of the window.

With a quiet sigh Jack closed the windows. "We should probably go." He said looking at Baby Tooth. The Guardians would want him to be back soon and probably not appreciate it if he went for a small break in Russia or Iceland to spread snow.

Baby Tooth nodded her agreement and the two were about to head back to Australia when Jack heard something. And voice, so very familiar even with the echo like quality to it. A familiar voice that sang in a language that meant nothing to him. He didn't know the words...

Yet at the same time he did.

"_Pūrī duniyā tuma para apanī pīṭha badala  
rahā hai aisā lagatā hai jaisē_."

confused, the winter child wondered if he'd at some point stop feeling confused today, Jack looked around. He got onto the roof and gazed around, across town to the woods where he could still faintly hear the voice echoing.

"_Lēkina āpa vilāpa karatē hu'ē  
Āpakē rōnā banda karō_"

Sky colored eyes widened drastically when heard the voice... Sweet, soft beautiful and exactly like she should be sang the chorus of _the_ song. "It's the song!" Jack cried mystified. After so many years... All those lonely nights and moments of sadness and pain had the boy thought of the song. Tried to recall something that he seemed to not be allowed to. And now...

The voice was singing his missing melody!

"_Maiṁ yahām̐ hūm̐ kyōṅki_"

Trying to control his breathing which was starting to come out in small gasps, too shocked to control the function, Jack let the wind carry him up, flying past many houses. Baby Tooth doing her best to keep up with the prince who didn't pay her worried chirps any mind.

Jack took a moment to orient himself before landing on a rotating air vent and let the slow movement spin him around. The song... How? Why now?

"_Maiṁ āpa kē bagala mēṁ yahām̐ hūm̐  
Basa apanī ām̐khēṁ khulī aura dēkhō_"

Wanting- No needing to now more about the song, what did the words mean? Why did he recognize and at the same didn't recognize the singer? Why was his chest constricting so painfuly? And _why_ was it so important? Jack flew up again.

Out of the village and landing in a spooky thickly wooded area, Jack looked around Baby Tooth finally near him again, but all Jack can think of is his song and that he's never been in this part of the forest before. He never ventured in this part of his home, it was too dark for the boy's liking and-

"_Maiṁ āpa kē sāmanē yahām̐ hūm̐"_

Decision already made Jack started sprinting through the woods. Running till he reached a clearing where he found the rotting remains of what was supposed to be the frame of a child's bed.

This was creepy. How long had that bed been here? What reason could anyone have to put a bed frame above a dark spooky hole in the ground?

Tweetering desperately Baby Tooth tried to gain Jack's attention by pulling on the strings of his hoodie, but Jack just distractedly swatted his hand at her. "Don't worry, there's still time."

"_Aura maiṁ dēkha rahā hūm̐,  
maiṁ dēkha rahā hūm̐  
Āpa para sīdhē._"

The song... Using his staff to break through the damaged bed frame Jack jumped through the large hole, reluctantly Baby Tooth dived in after him. They didn't hear the voice while they made their way through the dark tunnels and after a while they both lost their sense of direction.

Soon the pair found themselves in a huge dark underground cavern. Not once did Baby Tooth stop trying to get the boy's attention, much to the winter child's displeasure. "Baby Tooth-" This time the song wasn't what made Jack cut himself of.

It was the dark gloomy place the two now found themselves in. They were in Pitch's lair, that had to be their location judging by the dozens and dozens of large black metal bird cages hanging from ceiling filled with hundreds of mini-fairies. Millions of golden teeth containers lay on the floor in large piles underneath the cages that were so high up.

Each of the caged mini-fairies perked up and chattered when spotting Jack and Baby Tooth.

If Jack could understand them he would have known that the fairies were not only asking for help and cheering that someone found them, but that some of them were also asking Baby Tooth about the 'prince' and where Baby Tooth found him.

Flying up Jack landed on one of the cages. "Shhh, keep it down." He whispered. Jack was surprised that all the fairies actually listened to him and followed the order. Getting over the surprise Jack stared fiddling with the lock so he could free the mini-fairies. "I'm gona get you out of here as soon as-"

There was the song again, only this time the familiar voice didn't sing in foreign language, well she did, but this time Jack somehow knew what she meant. The words gained their meaning.

"_I'm here next to you  
Just put out your hand  
And I'll warm it for you._"

Chest constricting, Jack tried to swallow past the tightness in his throat, blinking to get rid of the stinging feeling in his eyes. "I-I.. I can't reach you." He choked out under his breath. Jumping from the cages Jack landed on the huge pile of teeth containers and began rummaging through them, checking names pictures and bruising his fingers while doing so as he desperately searched for his teeth container.

Because there's one person who can make things right again. Jack knows this, because she has to and Jack desperately needs her now. Needs both of them... Needs who?

Needs who?!

The source of the voice.

Jack Frost doesn't think of snow while searching for his teeth. He doesn't think of the guardians, his duties or the fairies. Everything was instantly forgotten.

Everything but the chance of finding his memories. The chance that he could- he might find something that could explain- something to fill the emptiness. Get back what-

Get back what is missing.

The poor frost child didn't notice the cavern getting darker or the increase in the amount of shadows till he heard Pitch's voice.

"Looking for something?"

Whirling around Jack shot a blast of ice from his staff, only Pitch wasn't there. Getting back up the winter child started walking in the direction of where Pitch's cackle was echoing from, staff ready to attack.

Step by step Jack walked through the cavern, blue eyes darting around all over the place. Rounding a corner he saw Pitch's shadow glide across the grey walls into a shadowed corridor.

"Don't be afraid Jack," Pitch's voice came from nowhere and at the same time everywhere. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Afraid?" Jack repeated, bravely walking through the pitch black darkness. Finally he spotted the boogeyman on the other side of a stone bridge, his back turned to the winter spirit. "I'm not afraid of you!" His words only seemed to amuse the nightmare king whose lips quirked up in a smile showing teeth who just like the rest of his were dark grey.

"Maybe not." Pitch agreed. "But you are afraid of something."

Steadily Jack approached the boogeyman, on the bridge, cautious and alert. Pitch wasn't looking at him, Jack could have the element of surprise. "You think so, huh?" Jack asked as relaxed as he could manage, he sounded casual.

"I _know _so." Pitch answered sounding so damn pleased with himself. "It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears." Pitch said turning to Jack, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. "Yours is that no one will ever believe in you... You fear of never belonging again." Ah there it was... The sweet intoxicating taste of fear.

Still as good as when he attacked the child hundreds of years ago, it tasted even better now that Jack was an immortal child. Oh yes Pitch could definitely use this.

Jack was not pleased. In fact, the child was close to panicking. That had been a lucky guess- There's no way Pitch could have known- Backing away it suddenly seemed like the cavern was darker, that Jack was no longer on the bridge?

Taking another small step back Jack pressed his back against the wall, the 300 year old child clenched his eyes shut as the world seemed to tilt.

It didn't just seem to tilt, it _did_. Suddenly the wall he had his back against was no longer a wall. He was on the floor and the bridge now some sort of pillar with Pitch standing on it, looming over him. And the shadows around him kept moving!

When he got up Pitch was gone, the nightmare king's chuckles echoing all over the place.

"And worst of all, you fear that it's not real. That the warmth and security you think you had before is just made up. You made it up to forget one simple fact." Pitch's voice came from everywhere making it impossible for Jack to hide. "You, Jack Frost are alone."

Not that Jack didn't try to get away. He turned around, only to find Pitch standing right there behind him.

"And your way to find out is... Right here." To Jack's surprise Pitch was holding a memory box and judging by the boogeyman's words it was _his_ memory box. "Do you want them, Jack?" Pitch continued, his voice wasn't exactly mocking, but the nightmare king definitely sounded amused. "Your memories?"

It was mean really. Holding the answers, everything Jack needed to know, holding it so close... All Jack could do was stare and fight the impulse to grab the teeth box. Before he could even decide if he should take them Pitch disappeared into the shadows taking the memory box with him.

Jack found himself surrounded, Pitch's shadow appearing on all the pillars in the cavern.

"Everything you've always been wondering. What you always wanted to know..." Pitch said watching Jack make his way through the darkness.

Everytime Jack turned around the shadowy figure of Pitch would disappear, the winter child was surrounded and at the same time he was all alone. It was like a sick twisted fun house, one that lacked fun.

What started as Jack walking to Pitch turned into Jack backing away, the shadows closing in on him.

"Why did you end up like this? Unseen. Unable to _reach out _to anyone." The nightmare king spoke. "You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them, and fly off with them. But you're afraid of what the Guardians will think." He was saying the right words. All the right words and Jack didn't even know why they were the right words. Why did he care what the guardians thought? Why was it so important?

Backed into the corner Jack's breathing quickened, frightened blue eyes darting all over the place watching the many shadows, not once spotting the real Pitch Black.

"You're afraid of _disappointing them_." Pitch continued getting closer and closer to Jack who still couldn't see the difference between the many shadowy silhouettes and Pitch himself. "Let me ease your mind on one thing... They'll never accept you. You have never belonged and you'll never be like them!"

Breaking point reached, Jack clutched the sides of his head and squeezed his eyes shut trying to block the darkness, the suffocating darkness, it was less dark with his eyes closed. "Stop it!" He had belonged! The song said so! "Stop it!"

There warmth, the love and care had been real! It had to be real!

Oh dear god let it be real...

What if he really had made it up? Had he really always been alone?

Almost reluctantly, the shadows backed away and Pitch appeared before Jack who had no space to back away anymore. "Face it Jack, you're not a guardian."

He wasn't. But he wasn't someone who took anything laying down either. Aiming his staff at Pitch, Jack snarled. "You don't know what I am!"

At that Pitch grinned. "Of course I do. You're Jack Frost." He tsked. "You make a mess wherever you go. Why, you're doing it right now." With that said Pitch tossed the memory box at Jack who instinctively caught it.

For a moment Jack stared at the box, then he realized the meaning behind Pitch's words. "What did you do?!" He cried terror shining his eyes.

"More to the point Jack," Pitch started backing away his body disappearing into the darkness. "What did _you_ do?"

Jack tried to charge at him, only to be swallowed by darkness, when he got out of the blackness Jack found himself in a much brighter tunnel... Pitch's no longer in front of him, but neither is-

"Baby Tooth!"

Running back in the direction he came from Jack gasped running face to face with one of Bunny's stone emblems.

He heard Pitch's voice sounding so damn smug. "Happy Easter, Jack."

A weight settled in his now ice cold feeling stomach and despite how he dreaded it Jack slowly turned around, breath catching at the sight that greeted him.

If he thought the dull eggs he saw on his first Easter were wrong, than the thousands of broken eggs shells strew around were a downright horror show.

"No..."

**-ROTG-**

"I checked everywhere! There's nothing."

Easter Sunday in England, it was Easter but it couldn't be. There were _no_ eggs to be found. No where. The small group of kids couldn't understand it. Of course at that moment there was not one person more hurt by this than E. Aster Bunnymund.

The guardian of hope wouldn't give up! There was hope! There had to be... He hopped over to the two kids, a small sad smile of his furry face. "Yes there is! There is!" Bunny insisted. "I mean these aren't my best lookin' googies, but they'll do in a pinch" He said holding out cracked red colored egg that the yeti forgot to paint blue.

Hope had a downside to.

"I can't believe it."

Bunny's hope was so strong, he didn't recognize the dullness in the little girl's voice. Instead he smiled brightly. "I know."

"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny." The girl said looking at her younger friend. She did not see the heartbreaking sight of long floppy ears bending and emerald eyes growing.

"What?!" But the children could no longer hear the pooka.

"Easter's over." He friend solemnly agreed. "Lets go home." The spark of childhood is gone, in all of them.

He's too late... "Yer wrong!" Bunny cried jumping in front of the children. "I'm still here! I'm right in front of ya mate!" But, just as if he were a ghost the children walked right through him. And it hurt, it stung and left a hollow feeling behind.

"They don't see me" Aster realized wrapping his arms around himself and curling up, not used to feeling hopeless. It had been ages since he felt so emotionally crushed. "They don't see me." He repeated helplessly when Tooth put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console him.

On a hill not that far behind them Jack stood watching the scene unfold. His eyes itched and it was all so _wrong_! Children believed in the Easter Bunny, they always had. Bunny was big and fearless and- and the children no longer believed all because of him...

"Jack?"

Jack's eyes grew when he saw North. The Russian had his swords drawn, he's exhausted, wild eyed and clearly distraught. So, so wrong...

"North," Jack said taking a cautious step to the man. "W-what happened?"

The cossack looked down, voice grave. "The Nightmares attacked the tunnels." He answered. "They smashed every egg, crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface." They had fought all night, fighting so hard to lose it all in the end. That's when the Russian's eyes landed on the golden container in the boy's hands. "Jack, where did you get that?" His voice didn't hold an accusation, just surprise, but that's not how Jack heard it.

Jack glanced down at the teeth container. A strangled cry caught his and North's attention before he had an answer ready. The two looked up in time to see a little boy walk through Tooth.

Aside from the strangled cry, the fairy also briefly tensed up and blinked back tears that the queen refused to let out. Tooth focused her attention on Bunny who just lost his holiday.

North made a sound, one not too loud, just a choked gasp to cover up the sound of his heart breaking. "Oh my angel..."

This was his fault. Jack realized aware of the new lump in his throat. If he hadn't followed the song to Pitch's lair, then he would have been there to help stop the nightmares and Easter wouldn't have been lost, he wouldn't have lost Baby Tooth and then Bunny and Tooth never would have experienced the pain of being walked through.

They should have never trusted him- he wasn't like them! He was just- was just-

"Jack?" North questioned his voice rising in alarm when the winter spirit started backing away from him. "What is wrong?"

Jack shook his head. "I'm sorry." He said tightening his grip on his staff and let the wind lift him up.

"Jack wait!"

North's cry caught Tooth's attention who took of after him, trying to catch up. She had no idea why the boy would run from them, but she couldn't let him leave. She couldn't lose him again! "Jack wait!" Right after the cry left her lips, her wings lost the strength to keep her up ad the fairy plummeted downwards, thankfully she landed safely in her husband's arms.

Her fall only made Jack fly away faster.

**Author: Poor Jack is so confused. Jack has a different reason for refusing to accept guardianship in this. It's something that's been there even before he died. You see Jack's the son of Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy, compared to his family Jack never really felt like he mattered.**

**It's nothing he really paid much thought to before, just a worry at the back of his mind. And Pitch enjoyed playing with Jack's old fears. Fears that don't make sense to Jack now and yet he's still scarred.**

**Also the song Jack hears is still the same song, but he hears it in the language of the Sister's of Flight(a mix of Japanese and Hindu).**


	13. Let the past form the future

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch13: Let the past form the future.

Needing to get away from- everything Jack had gone to his usual sanctuary. Antarctica, where there were penguins and no humans to walk through him. He'd always go there when he wanted to think. Now standing on a floating ice mountain Jack glared at his memory box, no not at the box. At the bright smiling brown-haired boy on the box.

Because it was all _his_ fault. And that picture of him who didn't look like him at all, the supposedly true him with brown hair and skin that wasn't pale and blue around the edges. The other him must have done something horrible to be punished like this.

Must have screwed up, big time, to have to be left alone for so long.

But that was what he did wasn't it?

He wouldn't be good ol' Jack Frost if he were good. If he were great like Nor- Why the hell did he care what the guardians thought?!

Eyes narrowing Jack griped the container and ran to the edge of the huge mountain ready to throw his tooth box into the ocean, his memories would disappear under the water. He had gone 300 years without them and he didn't need them now! He did _not_ need them. He didn't need _them_!

"I don't need you." Jack said through gritted teeth. Despite his words he didn't throw his tooth box into ocean. Instead he pulled his hand back and gazed at the box. Why couldn't he just throw it away? He really should just let go?

Surely it wasn't- it couldn't be that important right?

"I thought this might happen."

Jack grit his teeth when her heard Pitch. Again the Boogeyman had appeared behind him. Jack put his memory box in the pocket of his hoodie and tightened his grip on his staff as he listened to the nightmare king's words.

"You aren't like them Jack, I was just trying to show that to you." Pitch's voice was surprisingly gentle... caring even. "But I understand."

Whiping around Jack shot a blast of frost at Pitch, and another, followed by another, all blasts were deflected by a shield of nightmare sand, but Jack's sure that he's made the message clear. "You don't understand anything!" The teen cried in frustration, shooting more beams of ice and frost at Pitch whose control over the black sand had grown thanks to the destroyed Easter.

"No?" Pitch questioned, deflecting Jack's attack with another massive wave of nightmare sand. "I don't know what it's like to be cast out?" Their attacks met and clashed resulting in a furry of dark mist and ice. "To not believed in?" Pitch continued when the mist faded, he ended up behind the winter child now. "To long for a _family_?"

Jack turned around, his staff no longer gripped tightly and face not constricted in anger. There's a look of compassion on his pale face as he listens to Pitch's words.

"All those years in the shadows I thought," Pitch paused, he _needed_ to pause. Taking a deep breath he continued. "no one else knows what this feels like. But now I see I was wrong."

The bringer of snow and ice and the bringer of nightmares and fear locked eyes and there is a true connection between them. Because it's what every person needs, not love or courage, but understanding. In the end every villan or unlikely hero wants nothing more than to be understood.

"We don't have to be alone Jack." Pitch reached out to Jack faltering at the last moment as if hesitating.

And it's not a trick. Jack knows that. The boogeyman sounded too sincere for it to be a trick.

"I believe in you Jack." Pitch said and Jack's eyes widened, because that was something he wished for, he alway wished for someone to believe in him, but never had he dared to hope for it. "and I know children will to." Pitch finished voice soft and smile gentle.

breaking his gaze with the nightmare king Jack looks at the ground, it's bad he knows it but Jack actually considers Pitch's offer. Children believing... "In me?"

"Yes." Pitch insisted smile growing. "Just look at what can do!" He gestured to the huge fantastical ice sculpture that was created when their attacks clashed. Jack hadn't noticed it un till now.

Now that he did see it Jack wondered how he had not noticed the enormous thing before. The sculpture was as large as the skyscrapers he had seen in New York. Jack couldn't deny the sculpture's beauty... It was beautiful in the most terrifying way. The ice he had formed in his frustration morphed together with Pitch's nightmare sand that was made with... excitement? hope?

Jack wasn't sure he wanted to know, but together their attacks formed a huge morbid statue, with harsh pointy spikes cutting out at all odd places. Beautiful and frightening.

"What goes better than cold and darkness?" Pitch asked, pride and amazement in his voice as he watched Jack admire their work of art.

Automatically Jack comes up with answers to Pitch's rhetorical question, answers of things he never paid much mind, but where always there. Better together than cold and darkness... 'milk and cookies or tooth brushes and tooth paste and of course snowballs and fun times.

The frosted boy catches the sight of his reflection in the only patch of clear ice on the looming statue, he sees himself, with brown eyes and rosy cheeks and huge grin. When he blinked Jack saw his normal self again, silver-haired and pale.

Again Jack felt a painful stinging sensation in his head. Was it the guardians that made him hurt? Never had Jack experienced these headaches untill the guardians wanted him to join them. In the end Jack figured it- the headaches-the guardians- _he-_ didn't matter.

Pitch was still talking. Closing his eyes Jack forced himself to hear the boogeyman out.

"We can make them believe." Pitch's voice was getting louder with enthusiasm. "We'll give them a world where everything, everything is-"

"Pitch Black?" Jack deadpanned turning to Pitch, he really wasn't as surprised as he should be.

Realizing how this looked Pitch quickly added "And Jack Frost too," the nightmare king said holding up his index finger and speaking in a placating tone. He'd gain an ally, finally he'd create a fearling prince... He wouldn't have to fight alone anymore. "they'll believe in both of us."

Jack wasn't like the guardians, but he was so very tired of being alone and Pitch honestly wanted him to join him. Being around the Nightmare king didn't hurt his head like being around the guardians did...

And to get believers by- "No," Jack gave a firm shake of his head. "they'll fear both of us and that's not what I want." He turned away "Now for the last time, leave me alone!" He ordered and started walking away.

No... After so many years of planning, after all this time the child couldn't simply refuse! Jack should jump at the chance to join him! Together they would break the guardians! Jack wasn't supposed to refuse!

Yellow eyes flashing with anger Pitch watched the winter spirit's back. "Very well." Pitch's voice was calm, terrifyingly calm. "You want to be left alone? Done. But first..."

Jack froze when he heard an all too familiar twitter. Whipping around the winter child gasped when he saw Pitch pull one of Tooth's mini fairies from his robe. "Baby Tooth!" He cried charging at Pitch, staff already glowing a bright blue glow as Jack prepared to attack. Jack stopped his half formed attack, when terror filled Baby Tooth's multicolored eyes as Pitch squeezed her little body.

"The staff, Jack." Pitch said holding his free hand out to Jack who still had his staff ready, the boy's blue eyes filled with the kind of anger no child should be able to show. "You have a bad habit of interfering. Now hand it over." He paused watching the emotions dance over Jack's face, Pitch savoured the intoxicating taste of Jack's fear.

"And I'll let her go."

'_Don't give it to him!_' Baby Tooth twittered desperately shaking her small head, tears making her multicolored eyes shine. '_No Jack_!' But that was all the mini-fairy could do. The prince did not understand her language... Not enough. All she could do was plead, with her not right eyes. And in the end she couldn't even do that. Pitch clenched his fist and she can barely breath.

Her cut off, painful sounding chirp is what makes Jack flip his staff over and hand it over to Pitch. Not that he even considered risking Baby Tooth. It was his fault she got captured in the first place.

The pretty blue frost patterns were no longer present on the staff now that it was no longer in Jack's hands. The wood looked dead in Pitch's grey hand.

"Alright," Jack said, forcing himself to appear calm. He succeeds, but judging by the quiet chuckle that escapes the boogeyman's thin lips Jack knew Pitch could sense his fear. Jack couldn't help it. Never had he been without his staff.

His only possession, what had bee his security blanket for 300 years, and he had given it away.

"now let her go." Jack held out his hand to accept Baby Tooth from Pitch.

To Jack's shock Pitch pulled his hand back. "No." and Jack is horrified when Pitch took a step back, again Baby Tooth would be lost under his watch.

"You said you wanted to be alone." Pitch continued, and Jack would regret not accepting his offer. "So be alone!" He snarled.

Blue and purple eye growing wide in anger Baby Tooth squirmed in the boogeyman's grip. How could Pitch be so cruel?! The prince was so lonely and hurt and Pitch was so so very mean! Squirming till she finally had enough moving space she hit Pitch's hand with her beak as hard as her little neck muscles would allow.

Pitch shrieked in pain and in a mix of anger and his reflexes telling him to get rid of what hurt him, he threw the little fairy away, she hit an iceberg before she fell, so hard and she hurt so bad that her wings could do nothing to slow down her fall down the cliff.

"No!" Jack screamed watching the mini-fairy fall down the ravine. The winter spirit can barily believe what just happened. Baby Tooth couldn't have-

Staring at the cliff in horror, Jack didn't see Pitch lifting his staff, or Pitch breaking the wooden staff over his knee, cracking it in two. Light exploded from the staff and Jack's eyes filled with terror before he let out a cry of pain, hands clawing at his chest to get rid of the pain.

He's almost grateful when Pitch sends a burst of nightmare sand, blasting Jack away, he slammed against the same iceberg Baby Tooth had, but the ice cracked under the force of Jack's weight and for a moment the boy's hoodie sticks to the frozen mountain. A soft cry left his lips, the child already unconscious as he fell down into the ravine below.

Walking over to the edge of the crevasse Pitch chuckled darkly when he spotted the blue of Jack's hoodie at the bottom of the ravine. He threw the broken remains of Jack's staff down the crevasse smirking when it took a while before he heard the halves clatter.

Time to pay a visit to the boy's parents.

**-ROTG-**

"It's alright sheila." Bunny said, despite how he felt. They were in Belgium, Easter there, just like in the rest of the world didn't happen and now... He was small. Tiny and in Tooth's arms while the queen of the tooth fairies followed her husband to the sleigh.

Despite his size, Bunny did his best to still be of use. It didn't help that Tooth had to carry him and his pride hurt from when he cried out when he shrunk, but as the guardian of hope and a friend he owed it to at least try to make Tooth feel better.

That's why he didn't complain when the warrior queen started to absently stroke the grey fur on his head. He could feel her hands trembling and knew not to hope to find words that would make the situation seem less bleak. There weren't any. Easter was destroyed, Jack was gone, lights were going out at a rapid speed and to top that he had shrunk and Tooth lost the ability to fly.

Bunny let out a small surprised cry when Tooth suddenly turned and dropped him on the ground. "Ey! What the bloody hell-"

"Quiet Aster." Tooth commanded turning around. The voice she used not the voice of a loving mother, wife and friend, but that of the warrior queen. "Be quiet and stay behind me."

Not understanding why the fairy was behaving the way she was Bunny opened his mouth to ask, stopping when he followed her and North's gaze to a large tree with a big shadow where Pitch Black was standing in. Bunny wanted to protest that he could stand his own in any fight, even if he was reduced to this small form, but he remained quiet.

He's not sure whether it's Tooth's tone, his hurt pride or the gleam in Pitch's yellow eyes that make him listen, but Bunny stays behind Tooth while the fairy walked across the field to stand at her husband's side.

North had his sabers ready, when Tooth was at his side he didn't turn his head. "Pitch, what are you doing here?" The Russian demanded glaring at the dark figure standing in the tree's shadow. Toothiana's anger might be cold, like the anger of a queen should be, but North's anger was burning hot and left damage behind. "Have you not done enough?"

Pitch grinned. "To wish you a happy Easter of course." He answered, his yellow eyes looked down at the guardians, the two he could see anyway. His grin grew. "Where's the rabbit? Surely he's not missing out on _his_ own holiday?" He asked noting how Tooth straightened up, her feathers bristling. "I wanna see the rabbit!" He cried and the shadow he had stood in grew, closer and closer, lessening the distance between him and the guardians considerably.

"What's the matter? Pitch questioned. "Did a few children walk through the wittle wabbit?" He mocked.

That's it! Bunny was about to jump from behind Tooth and attack Pitch, smaller form be damned. But Pitch's next words stopped him. Stopped them all.

"Imagine what that would be like. Child after child walking through you, for _300 years_."

Knowing his wifem North extended his arm to her and handed her one of his swords. Tooth wings could no longer carry her so they would probably not function as her weapon either. It didn't matter, the woman was just as good of a swordfighter as her husband.

When they still sparred together they usually came to a draw and right now Tooth had enough anger to in her to make up for the years she hadn't practiced.

The couple didn't need to share a glance. Like well synchronized dance partners they charged forward crying out in outrage. Freezing cold and burning hot anger mixing together even though most said they shouldn't be able to.

"Pitch!" Tooth screeched aiming her sword at Pitch's right side at the same moment North tried to strike Pitch's left. Pitch unfortunately was only as tangible as he wanted to be and could easily avoid being hit.

With the shadows at his command Pitch kept slithering away from their attacks.

Aware that they were losing North demanded one thing "You knew Pitch! Tell us how you knew!"

At the pointless demand Pitch chuckled darkly. "You should keep tabs on your ex lovers Nicolas." The nightmare king answered slowly backing away from them, deeper into the shadows. "Who keeps tabs on all elementals? Who's in charge of nature?"

The last thing Pitch saw before he let the shadows take him in was North's eyes widening in horror and Tooth's face contrasting in rage, both mouthing the same name.

"Seraphina."

**-ROTG-**

The first thing Jack becomes aware of was that he's cold. Something new altogether, seeing aside from when he first 'woke up' he never felt the cold. Secondly he became aware that he's sore, his body hurt all over and he's more tired than he can remember ever being.

Slowly as if not sure what he would find Jack opened his eyes and noticed Baby Tooth, lying lifelessly on the ground.

"Baby Tooth!" Jack cried, he pulled himself up and crawled over to her. Gently he lifted the mini-fairy up and cradled her in his hands. He let out a small breathless laugh that could have passed for a sob when the fairy woke up and sat up. "You alright?"

Baby tooth nods, but she's hurt, her wings close to broken and she's cold. Jack tried to shield her from the harsh temperature with his hand, he knows he failed when the fairy let out a sneeze hard enough to shake her tiny body,

"Sorry..." Jack apologized, "all I can do is keen you cold." Jack realized he wasn't cold, he felt cold on the inside, there was difference. He sat up, Baby Tooth watching him worry shining in her eyes.

Jack let out a sad sigh, his shoulders slumping, there really wasn't anything that could make it right again. Children would stop believing, the guardians would die and- "Pitch was right." He gave up, resting his back and head against the frozen walls of the mountain. "I make a mess of everything." He sniffled.

It wasn't like he'd be able to leave the place, without his staff he was forever trapped here. The worst of it was that Jack was okay with it. It wasn't like he would be missed. All he did was screw up.

Watching the prince Baby Tooth felt her heart break. Jack wasn't supposed to be like this. Getting an idea the mini-fairy crawled down Jack's arms and into the pocket of his hoodie.

"Hey!" Jack protested voice breaking. Even Baby Tooth didn't want to be around him anymore. Closing his eyes the frost child leant back, intent on sleeping... If he didn't wake up that would be a bonus. That's when he heard it-

"_It seems like the whole world is turning its back on you  
That must be what you are feeling._"

The song! And this time he understood it! And the voice it was Too- "Mom?" What was he saying he didn't have a mom! He didn't have parents! H-h-he was alone.

With trembling hands Jack reached into his pocket pulling out Baby Tooth and his memory box, it is glowing brightly and pulsing with white light.

"_But while you sigh  
Stop your crying  
Because I am here._"

Feeling lost Jack looked at Baby Tooth who gave him a reassuring look. The rost child reached to touch the box, but whe he does, its top magically unfolds to reveal a handful of baby teeth- _his _baby teeth. Looking at the teeth, the light brightened- too bright! And Jack had to shut his eyes-

_"Ya like snow way too much kid." Bunny told the two-year old, playfully ruffling naturally messy brown hair._

_"Snow fun." Jack said crossing his arms sounding as serious as a two-year old could._

_Bunny chuckled. "You know what else is fun?"_

_At the question sky blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Race! Race!" The toddler cried reaching his hands up wanting to be carried._

_Grinning at the child Bunny scooped the little boy up and placed him on his back. "Ya don't want to race a rabbit, mate." Aster chuckled dropping to all fours and breaking out in a sprint._

_I'm here next to you  
Just open your eyes and see  
I'm here in front of you._

_Ten-year old Jack swung the large sword he had taken from his father's weapon room. "Ha!" He cried when he successfully defeated his imaginary foe. The child jumped around, sword grasped in both hands, only there wasn't an imaginary foe there, but a real person._

_"Sandy!" Jack gasped, he looked from the small golden man floating in front of him, to the large sword with a beautiful crystal hilt and then back at Sandy again. "Uh.. I didn't steal Dad's sword."_

_To Jack's relief Sandy laughed, the sound unheard but so very present. Smiling Sandy twirled around summoning dreamsand and forming the figure of a tall man in a long elegant coat, a large hat with a feather on it on the man's head. One of the man's hands was missing, in its place a sharp hook and in the other hand a large sword._

_"Awesome!" Jack cheered instantly recognizing the man Sandy had conjured up for him. The brown-haired boy got back in a fighting stance. "Prepare to lose captain Hook!" _

_Sandy clapped his hands watching Jack fight the pirate. Naturally, the victory was Jack's._

_And I'm looking  
I'm looking  
Straight at you._

_Eight year old Jack pouted when his dad pulled the toy from his hands. "But dad!" He whined. "Why can't I play with your toys?"_

_"Iz no toy moy mal'ch'ik." North smiled at his son's confused look. Perhaps it was time to explain. He looked at the matryshoka doll that was made to look like him. Maybe he needed to work on it some more, the nesting doll did not trully display his handsomeness._

_"This is how others see me, no?" He asked smirking at Jack who tilted his head. "Very big, intimidating. But when you get to know me little-" Grinning he handed the doll to Jack who stared at it. "Go on." He said waving his hand, motioning for Jack to remove the top of the nesting doll._

_A curious look on his face, Jack looked at his dad before twisting the doll and opening it. Inside it there's another doll made to look like his father, this one red-cheeked and with a large smile on his face. "You are... downright jolly." Jack concluded._

_"Not just jolly." North said a laugh in his voice as he took the nesting doll from Jack again. He twisted it and revealed the next doll, this one hid his face in his large red coat. "I am also mysterious," again North twisted and opened the doll to show the next one, this one had an angered look on its face and his swords drawn, "fearless," the next doll was hugging a cat and tear drop on its wooden cheek. "caring, and at my center," North dropped the final doll in Jack's hands._

_"There's a tiny wooden baby." The eight year old deadpanned._

_"Look closer!" North instructed his booming voice filled with joy._

_Holding the doll, small, the size of a jelly bean, closer to his face, Jack examined it. Finally he gave in and stated the obvious. "You have big eyes."_

_"Yes!" North laughed. "Very big eyes, because they are full! Full of wonder! That is my center." He explained patting Jack's shoulder, the boy getting just as excited as his father. North's larger than life personality was just contagious like that. "It is what I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the wonder in __everything__!"_

_And with this information Jack sees all the word his father does in a new light. The little boy bounced on the balls of his bare feet giggling when he saw all the toys on the shelf light up._

_"Eyes that see lights in trees and magic in the air!" North happily continued. "This wonder is what I protect in ze children. It is my center. What makes me a guardian."_

_For a while Jack is too amazed to talk. After a while he quietly asks "Do I have a center to, dad?"_

_Eyes sparkling with joy, North lifted his son up. "Of course you do moy mal'ch'ik. You just have to find it." He finished playfully taping the boy's nose._

_I'm here next to you  
Just put out your hand  
And I'll warm it for you._

_The thirteen year old smiled sleepily, his mom's gentle voice lulling him to sleep. He tried to stay awake, because really he wasn't tired! But with Tooth continuously running her fingers through his hair and her singing the song he found it hard to keep his eyes open._

_"I'm here next to you  
Just put out your hand" Tooth sang taking Jack's hand in hers and giving it a small gentle squeeze. _

_"And I'll warm it for you."_

_With a happy, sleepy sigh, Jack finally closed his eyes. It was okay. He was tired, but warm, safe and loved. "Goodnight mom."_

_"Goodnight Sweet Tooth." Tooth replied kissing his brow. "Sweet Dreams."_

_Just put out your hand  
And I'll warm it for you._

_J-Jack?" Emma whimpered when the ice cracked underneath her._

_Not thinking clearly, Jack let go of his shoes and rushed to the pond, the ice near the shore was still frozen so he could walk on it, but only a few steps. Not as close as he needed to be to save the little girl._

_"It's okay, it's okay." Jack assured forcing seriousness in his voice needing Emma to remain calm._

_Shutting her eyes tightly a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Jack," Emma whispered voice cracking. "I'm scared." She sniffled opening her eyes and meeting Jack's._

_"I know, Emma... But you're gonna be fine... Y-you're not gonna fall in. I'm here..." Jack said refusing to let this girl remain sad. Fear could be fought. He had to do it. "It's gonna be okay." His eyes landed on a Sheppard staff one of the children must have left behind, and Jack got an idea. "We're gonna have a little fun instead."_

_Emma was fully crying now. "No we're not!"_

_"You know who my dad is?" Jack said, Emma shouldn't be sad! He could get rid of this sadness. "Nicolas St. North, bandit king and..."_

_"Santa Claus?" The timid question was asked quietly. Emma blinked back her tears and a curious look replaced her scarred one._

_Jack nodded smiling. "That's right and would Santa Claus lie to you?" Well North had lied to him about the puppy for his sixth birthday, but lets not go there._

_With a small smile on her face Emma shook her head._

_"And as his son I wouldn't lie to you either." Jack fixed her gaze and for a moment it felt like there was nothing there but him and Emma. He could do this. "You have to believe in me. Just like you believe in Santa and the Tooth fairy okay?"_

_Emma paused and then she nodded smiling through her fear._

_And just like that, Jack's demeanor changed. A light switched on inside him and the last thing that could be happening is what actually is happening._

_"Wanna play a game?" Jack cheerfully asked. "We're gonna play hopscotch, I know you like that." How did he know that? "It's as easy as... One..." He took one large step forward, then pretending to loose his balance. "Whoa!" His arms flailed around eliciting giggles from Emma._

_"Two." Another large step forward._

_"Three!" He finished with the last jump, landing close to the staff and picked it up. Jack focussed on Emma and spread his arms. "Alright, now it's your turn." He said kneeling down and extending the crooked end of the staff to her._

_Gulping Emma looked down at her skates and the spiderweb like cracks in the ice underneath her and took one tiny step forward._

_"One." Jack softly counted for her._

_Smiling Emma made the next step._

_"That's it, that's it, already two steps." Jack said trying to distract her from her from the breaking ice. She's already close enough._

_"Three!" Jack cried leaning forward and wrapping the crooked end of the staff around Emma's waist and in one massive effort he slings her with all his might to safety. But the movement propels him into the cracked ice._

_Jack landed on his knees, looking up at Emma's surprised face he smiled at her. Everything would be alright. Underneath him the ice cracks and the next thing Jackson St. North knows he is plunged into the dark cold water._

_Through the hole in the ice he can see the bright glow of the moon shining down on him, chasing the darkness that's trying to claim him away. His face lost all color and his brown hair slowly turned white _

_and-_

With a loud gasp Jack opened his eyes, coughing and sputtering and for a moment it truly is like he just got out of the water. "Did-" cough "Did you see that?!" Jack asked when his eyes finally focused on Baby Tooth who was looking at him with a curious look on her small face.

The mini-fairy shook her hed tweeting "no" and Jack understood her. He remembered being thought the language by his- At that thought his breathing hitched. By his mother. "I had a family..." A wonderful family that he should have remembered.

"That little girl!" Jack cried again excited, feeling his chest glow with pride and relief. "Emma Overland! I saved her!"

"I saved her." He repeated, calm and quiet this time still just as astonished. Looking up Jack saw the moon through the opening of the ravine. "And you saved me." He whispered to the moon, and he knew the moon wasn't just a rock in the sky and that the moon- the planet itself wasn't alive, but that there was a real live person up there.

Someone who was lonely, wise and very powerful.

And because he saved that girl, not by being big and strong like Bunny or fearless like North, but saving her by being just Jack. He knew. "I can be a guardian." And at that breathed out realization the moon above seemed to glow a little brighter.

Still in Jack's hand, Baby Tooth tried to take flight only to fall back in Jack's palm. The believe in her queen was dying out.

Realizing the same thing Jack put Baby Tooth on his shoulder and got to his feet. "We have to get out of here." He walked over to where the two halves of his staff lay, picked them up and tried to fit them back together, but nothing again, this time using every ounce of strength left in him. Jack did not just hope for it to work, but believed it to work. Believe was the most powerful thing there was, and he had to believe. Had to always **always** believe.

Baby Tooth watched him work, her eyes widening when a spark of blue light shut from the staff.

Jack continued to push the two halves together, until an icy blue light, brighter than ever before, spread and melded the two ends of the staff back together.

A huge smile formed on Jack's face when the light faded. With Baby Tooth tucked safely in his hoodie the boy took flight.

He's got memories and it's more than he ever hoped to dream for, hopes to be with his family again and with that it's like the world is different.

And it's wonderful.

"Come on Baby Tooth." Jack said, sounding lighter than before, and he's high in the sky and not in that dark place anymore. "I owe you one."

**Author: The scene with Pitch confronting the guardians is dedicated for StarfireRocks who requested it. Did you guys know that at one point the movie writers considered doing a scene like that. There even some storyboard pictures of it. It's not much, just Pitch being sassy and demanding to see the rabbit.**


	14. Give me a Sign

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch14: Give Me a Sign.

"Come on lets go!" Jack cried once he opened the doors of all the large cages with the fairies in them. He and Baby Tooth had gone back to Pitch's lair. If they freed all the mini-fairies they could return all the stolen teeth to the palace and the children would remember all the great Easters they had before and regain their believe in the holiday and in te guardians.

It was a good plan, only... The mini-fairies sat there, perched in their cages, their wings folded behind their backs and they faces so incredibly sad. Some where hugging themselves while others just gazed at the tooth boxes on the ground with forlorn expressions.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked landing on the floor.

All mini-fairies tweetered and chirped in response and Jack understood everything they were saying!

Of course understanding didn't make things any better. "None of you can fly?" Another chirp caught his attention and Jack glanced at Baby Tooth, the loyal mini-fairy still perched on his shoulder. Baby Tooth pointed to Pitch's globe.

Looking at the globe Jack gasped "The lights" he whispered, the globe looked completely devoided of all light and one by one more lights kept going out. Only six children on the entire planet that still believed in the guard-

Five. A light just went out in France... and in Alabama... so four.

Oh no...

There went the last believer from Columbia. Three.

And the last light from Mexico followed right after that.

Only two lights remained. Two lights set very closely besides each other. The children probably from the same town. The same house.

Jack knew exactly who those two lights were. It would be ridiculous if the brightest of the two would have faded. After spending hours at the Warren?

When the other light started flickering Jack quickly put Baby Tooth down and flew up.

"Jamie."

**-ROTG-**

_Today Toothiana had shared some of her past with him. They watched the sunset from one of the rafters at the palace, and the woman had such a thoughtful look on her face while she gazed at the orange sky and then she had confided in him, and in return North had shared some of himself with her aswell. Toothiana smiled at him and, slowly their hands found each other._

_Together they watched the moon appear on the now pinkish/purple night sky. The Russian could not remember ever feeling this special before. Sure had felt proud before and god knew how he liked to brag about his amazing accomplishments or his dazzling good looks, but when that beautiful winged girl confided in him... _

_When she looked at him... Not when they first met and she tried to kill him- her distrust was acceptable after what she'd been through- but when she looked at him when he presented one of his inventions. The admiration._

_Toothiana had the ability to make him feel like the best man in the world just by looking at him._

_And Pitch could attack any given moment unless someone stopped him._

_It was then that Nicolas realized that he knew someone who could get the nightmare king to back down. To stop his ways. And North knew just how to __persuade__ her._

North still felt disgusted with what he had done, 520 years ago he had seduced Seraphina Pitchner to get her to stop her father's plans. Used the woman to get what he wanted. He lost Tooth's trust then, she caught him while making out with mother nature, and when he finally told the warrior queen of his reasons... Never did he forget the shock and disappointment in his angel's eyes. He almost lost everything then, and when Seraphina realized she had been tricked nature went wild, and in the end Pitch still attacked.

He thought Seraphina had her revenge when she crashed his and Tooth's wedding, when she attacked his friends and trapped his bride.

Never could he have imagined that his son- his mal'ch'ik- having to suffer because of his mistake.

One of the reindeer made a keening noise and reminded him to keep his focus on reaching the last lights. There's a weight against his arm that he hadn't noticed before. When glanced at it North felt something in his chest twist painfully.

Beautiful, strong Toothiana-_his_ angel- was clinging to his arm, her eyes clenched shut, but North could see the tears that she didn't allow herself to attached to her long eyelashes.

"Oh Angel Moy..." The Russian murmured voice filled with regret. "I am so sorry." North looked down, he spotted Bunny in the corner of the sleigh, his tiny form shaking with small tremors that would have gone unnoticed in his regular form. North hated to admit it, but with his ears lowered, cowering and oh so fluffy... Aster looked pathetic. Something the strong pooka warrior definitely wasn't.

At his words Tooth lifted her head to look at him. "Nicolas," She whispered her voice quiet and for once fragile. She doesn't sounds as broken as she did when they lost Jack... or when Seraphina caged her, but the pain and sadness is there and it hurts "What are you even apologizing for? I should apologizing to you-"

"Chto?!" North interrupted pulling the reins to slow the reindeer so he could look at his wife without the risk of getting lost. "My angel how can you apologize if you did no wrong!"

"I... I forgot to come back."

"What?" North asked in English this time, mind truly blank.

"Nicolas I forgot to come home." Tooth repeated straightening up, her hands didn't leave his arm nor loosen their grip. "I threw myself in my work, creating mini-fairies, collecting teeth- I forgot to come back to you... It was horrible!"

"You left... because you blamed me." North slowly said, it wasn't an argument, North was just confused.

Blinking Tooth tried to figure out what North was talking about. "Blamed you for what?" She finally asked tilting her head to side, some of her feathers were still up showing that she hadn't calmed yet.

North closed his eyes in grief. "I wanted Jack to come to Burgess with me. Had I not left Jack with the kids that night-..." Then Emma Overland would have fallen through the ice in Jack's place. They had never talked about it, the loss and it's effect and now they were realizing just how foolish that had been. "or if I had searched forest longer I could have found Jack as new winter spirit." And of course, the one mistake that kept coming back at him no mater how many years passed by. "And had I not tricked Seraphina she'd have told u-" North stopped when Tooth suddenly unseated one of his swords.

For a moment the queen examined the sword, brushing away a couple of grains of nightmare sand. "Nicolas St. North are you telling me you have control over what that woman does?" Tooth asked her tone cold, the anger in her voice so very present but also concealed by coldness and pride.

Now she even had Bunny looking at her in question. "Because last time I checked Nature is still as unpredictable and destructive as always..."

"Angel moy?" North questioned.

"I'll have her wisdom teeth." Tooth vowed her voice low, as it had been those years ago. "I will pull them out myself... She has to pay, for everything, f-for not telling us about Jack and for you-"

"Me?"

Just like that Tooth's face which had been cold and hard, crumpled. Amethyst eyes watering she gently put her hand on her husband's rosy cheek. He was warm and big and she felt safe. How had she ever gone so many years without him? Had she become that lost? "How am your wife Nicolas," Tooth whispered. "I am your wife and for all these years I let you blame yourself for our baby's death. H-how could I?"

North let go of the reins with one of his hands and covered Tooth's small hand on his cheek with his own beefy one. "Is not your fault."

"It's not yours either." Tooth quietly answered, the fairy leaned forward and pressed her lips against North's and- cookies, milk, Christmas cake and Russian vodka- all the sweets she didn't allow herself to have- and then- safety and protection when a strong arm wrapped around her, protection that wasn't really needed, but oh so welcome.

Aster gave them a moment. The couple deserved it after all.

The pooka in his tiny form counted the seconds... 10, 20, 30 And well...

"Oi! Quit the bloody loving and drive the sleigh! Eyes in front of ya mate! We need ta get to the last lights!"

**-ROTG-**

Jack arrived at Jamie's house in three short minutes, Wind understood the urgency and made sure he got there as fast as possible. He landed near the bed room window where he saw the ten-year old sit on his bed and talking to a age-softened stuffed rabbit.

"Okay look, you and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads, so here's what's gonna happen," Jamie instructed the stuffed animal. "If it wasn't a dream and if you are real, then you have to prove it."

There's so much hope twisted in his words, like there should be. It was still Easter Sunday after all. "Like right now." Jamie said leaned forward hoping so much that the stuffed bunny would do something, clinging desperately to belief. Because without hope, wonders, memories and dreams what is childhood worth?

"I've believed in you for a long time, okay?" He continued, because apparently his stuffed bunny needed to be convinced. "Like my whole life in fact. So you kinda owe me now." He said grabbing the toy from his bed and holding it close. "You don't have to do much," the desperation is really apparent now.

"Just a little sign. Anything... Anything at all..."

Having run out of words Jamie waited, hoping something would happen. It's excruciating.

At the window Jack is doing the same. Part of him is hopping for a rabbit hole to open up on the floor and Bunnymund to hop out of it. Then Jamie would believe.

Jack's not familiar with losing faith in believe... Not like Jamie is experiencing right now. Yes he felt hopeless before, there had been days when he did not see the wonder in the world, for 300 years he had gone without his memories and more often than not he had gotten nightmares instead of good dreams. But he always found fun in things... Jack grew up with the guardians, not believing was not an option.

But the frost child knows it's horrible. Jack knows Jamie's feeling cold. Not from the actual weather, but cold on the inside.

But having his memories back did not change the past 300 years, that he remembered being Jack St. North did not change the fact that he was still invisible. He could do nothing to help.

"I knew it." Jamie whispered letting go of his stuffed bunny and letting the toy fall to the floor.

Swallowing Jack opened the window, he now had a better view of the little boy's face. Jack saw the light slowly start to fade from Jamie's bright eyes. The spark of childhood was leaving the boy!

'Oh no you don't!'

Having heard the window creak when it was opened Jamie turned to look, a small frown formed on his young face when he saw pretty frost patterns appear on the glass and- An Easter egg! Out of no where the image of an Easter egg appeared on his window!

Eyes growing wide, the spark returning Jamie glanced at his stuffed bunny on the floor. Mouth forming an O the boy looked back at the window gasping when more window panes started to freeze over. Frost... Wasn't a part of Easter, it wasn't associated with the holiday, but there's no denying-

"He's real" Jamie breathed amazement so visibly shown.

_Believe_

At the window Jack grinned, excited the winter spirit continued to exert himself. Drawing in frost wasn't anything special. He needed to give Jamie something special. Jamie needed a sign. His next picture needed to be better than just an image on glass. So he created a frost bunny on the window and willed it to be better.

_Believe_.

Willed it to be alive.

And come alive it did. The frost rabbit leaped free from the window, both Jamie and Jack's eyes growing wide with amazement when it happened.

The frost rabbit hopped around Jamie's room, hopping on a surface that was unseen to Jamie and Jack. The ten-year old and the 314-year old both watching with amazement, large smiles on their faces. This was... more than just wonderful. It was _fun_.

And after hopping around the frost rabbit burst into snow, small snowflakes gently sprinkling down on the child.

"Whoa!" Jamie cried. Jack and Jamie are astonished, amazed, but Jamie's amazement soon turned into confusion, because the little boy knows Easter is about spring so why would the Easter Bunny send...

"Snow?"

_Believe._

A snowflake lands on the tip of his nose... '_You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose.'_

"Jack Frost..."

**Author: And in next chapter, wat you've all been waiting for... The reunion between Jack and his parents. It will happen in the next chapter which will _probably_be the last one.**


	15. Within Reach

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG

Ch15: Within Reach.

So frost bunnies. He could bring frost to life if he really wanted- if he really believed it. Jack wanted to make more, send more to the kids to get them believe in Bunny again. It wasn't just limited to bunnies. Frost animals.. Probably big snow wolves and polar bears to!

Jack let out a small breathless laugh when the frost rabbit burst into snowflakes, Jack noted with a touch of pride that each snowflake was different from the others. Just like they were supposed to be. He didn't spend the summer months coming up with new snowflake designs for nothing. They were all beautiful and-

"Jack Frost?"

All Jack's thoughts came to a sudden halt at Jamie's stunned whisper, a small confused frown on his face. "Did he just say..." He said it like he was stalking to himself because... he was. Who would be talking to or even hearing invisible Jack Frost?

Pushing himself up Jamie stood on his bed. "Jack Frost." He repeated looking around in confusion.

Again! "He said it again." Jack's so shocked he backed away from the bed. "He said..." He looked at Jamie, breath coming in small gasps. "You said..."

Suddenly Jamie turned his head in the direction of Jack's voice and if possible those honey brown eyes grew twice their size. "Jack Frost." He gasped out, jaw falling open.

"That's right!" Jack cried in disbelief. "But-but that's me! Jack Frost! That's my name!" He cried pointing at himself, his hand then dropping at his sides in helpless abandon. "You said my name..." A kid actually said his name!

Not a parent chiding '_you don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose_' or '_Close the door, don't let Jack Frost in_' or old singers, Jack didn't mind that one Christmas song chesnuts roasting, but that other song... '_Little Jack Frost get lost_'. That was just cruel! But a child actually said his name in wonder! Jamie said his name... And the boy was looking his way, not just his way but-

Jack swallows, cautious to believe. "Wait, can you hear me?" And to Jack's shock Jamie nodded, it was a jerking motion and the boy's mouth was still hanging open.

A child was acknowledging him... And right when he'd almost given up on ever being believed in! He hadn't been trying to get Jamie to believe in _him_. Easter didn't happen and Jamie needed to believe.

And really he isn't sure what to think, he wants to shout and cry or curl up in happiness? Excitement? Relief? Jack's so overwhelmed he finds himself stubbornly blinking back the moistness in his eyes, wouldn't want to be seen cryi- Jack's breath hitched, "Can you- Can you see me?"

Again Jamie nodded, stunned by the turn of events himself.

"He sees me." Jack said, his statement followed by a breathy chuckle. "He sees me!" The eternal teen whooped with joy, doing a backflip and landing on the dresser. A gentle snowfall starting up in the room, the element reaction to its wielder's excitement.

Very contagious excitement. "You just made it snow!" Jamie cried in surprise and amazement, laughter in his voice.

The same applied to Jack. "I know."

"In my room!"

"I know!" Jack laughed

Jamie doesn't think his words are very smart. Stating the obvious, 'yeah Jack knows he just made it snow in the room' but it's the only thing he can think of the say, well other then "You're real?!"

"Yeah!" Jack enthusiastically replied nodding vigorously. "Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and snow days, and you remember when you went flying on that sled the other day?!"

"That was you?" Jamie wanted know, bouncing on his bed.

"That was me!"

There's a white-haired teenager standing on his dresser with his bare feet bouncing with excitement as pure as his own, teenager who made snow and the awesomest sleigh rides ever. "Cool!" Jamie cried and if Jack Frost was real, real and so cool, then- "what about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy I mean-"

"Real-real-real!" Jack cried. "Every one of us is real!" It had been ages since he ever used the word _us_, that he could do it again, about the guardians... Shocking and amazing all at the same time.

"I knew it!" Jamie grinned nodding to himself glad with the confirmation.

Of course the boy's enthusiastic yelling didn't go unnoticed. "Jamie," they heard mrs. Bennet call from her own bedroom. "who are you talking to?"

"Uh.." Jamie looked at Jack not sure if he's supposed to tell his mom. Jack just shrugs smiling as if to say 'it's up to you' so Jamie answered truthfully. "Jack Frost."

"Okay." His mother replied with a small laugh.

Jamie was about to launch another wave of questions at the winter spirit when they both heard the sound of thunder. Jack's sky colored eyes widened in horror when the sound was followed by the jingling sound of sleigh bells. "Jamie, get your sister... There's trouble." Jack ordered sounding distracted, his mind numb.

**-ROTG-**

Crash landings in the snow were so much nicer.

That's basically North's standard thought when crash landing in places that aren't snow-covered. Upon landing in someone's front yard, the reindeer got separated from the reins and ran into the woods. Fleeing while there was still belief. Both disheveled North and Tooth crawled out of the wreckage.

"Ah, moi deti!" North yelled after his precious reindeer. "Come back!" He tried to get up, they were so low on belief that the Russian actually had to use on of his mighty swords as a cane to push himself up. When he was up his back gave out.

North nearly fell back down, but someone held onto his arm, keeping him up. "Nicolas, are you okay?" Tooth asked worriedly.

"It is official, angel moy," North answered, his exhaustion visible in both his voice and in his posture. "my powers are kaput."

The fairy visibly wilted at her husband's words, small delicate appearing hands tightened the vise like grip on North's bright red coat. Tooth really doesn't want to let go. Sandy's death, Bunny reduced to his smaller form, she herself lost her fairies and her wings were useless to her and now North was losing all his energy.

She had already lost too much, there just isn't a way she could handle it if something happened to Nicolas. Yes, over the past centuries the winged woman had mellowed down so much in comparison to how she used to be, but Tooth knows she'll lose it if something happened to Nicolas.

They'd gone years without each other and yet their love had not wavered, their believe if it was still two-sided had faded at times, but never during the time when they thought they had lost their boy had their love for each other stopped.

She _needed_ him. Without North- Toothiana did not plan on letting go of her husband's arm.

But then the only person in the world that could make her let go of North flew out the window of the house where they crash landed in front of. "Look!" The queen gasped pointing to where Jack had landed a couple of feet away.

"Jack!" Tooth cried and for a small moment her wings could carry her, why? Because this wasn't one of her nightmares where she had to watch or listen helplessly. She wasn't stuck or trapped, she would reach her son!

When her wings failed her, just seven feet away from Jack, she took a step forward- but- But! Jack took a step backwards.

It was one tiny step backwards, but that was enough to snap something within the tooth fairy's chest. Not snap into two, but shatter into dozens of tiny pieces, something broke at seeing her own child back away from her.

Jack was backing away from her...

From them.

"Moy mal'ch'ik?" North questioned. He was standing at her side, the same blind will that made Tooth temporary able to fly again had driven him to reach Tooth in front of Jack so fast in his weakened state. North was about to walk to his boy when, just then the door of the house they were in front of swung open and Jamie came running out.

"Wow! It is you!" The ten-year old cried running towards them. "I mean it _is _you! I knew it wasn't a dream." Jamie grinned when he reached North. Behind him came little Sophie, the toddler had put her bright yellow booths on, and cheerfully walked over to the large Russian. Unlike her older brother Sophie wasn't surprised, delighted yes. But not surprised.

That was proven when the toddler spoke up "Jack bring Jamie and me." she matter of factly informed Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy on what her big brother told her. "Scawy man no get us if we here."

At those words North whipped his head back to look at Jack a large grin on his face. "Jack!" He spoke loudly, bursting with pride. 'my boy has believers! My boy will be guardian!' "They see you!"

North was about yell out in celebration, cheer. He had his wife back and hopefully soon they'd have their son back. But then North noticed how Jack had his fists clenched at his sides, trembling. The boy's eyes glued to the ground.

Concerned North tilted his head "Jack?"

Most people don't know it, but there's a difference between knowing and believing. For 300 years Jack had known he existed, but at times he wondered if he was even real. Gaining his memories and having Jamie see him made him believe he's real.

'Seeing isn't believing' but that is exactly how it counted for immortals who needed to believed in to be seen, because in their case it is always 'believing is seeing' but right now...

After regaining his lost memories Jack knew where he was from, knew his heritage, his life and family. He knew that North and Tooth were his parents, but now seeing them... it was made real.

Real and terrifying.

Jack knows his hands are shaking, most of him is trembling and he can't stop it. He vaguely registered a voice coming from the sled, something that made Sophie squeal in delight and Jamie gasp. The sound or voice effectively got the children distracted and go to sled, but Jack can't bring himself to look anywhere but at the ground.

300 years... that's enough time to stop loving someone right? Who said his parents even wanted him back?

Had it not been his fault Easter was ruined?

Part of him wants to run towards them, but the other part of him, the side that had rationalized the past 300 years... The part that knows that others can and often _will_ hurt him if he gets too close, that part of him wants to run. Hide.

Jack's eyes are clenched shut, his breathing coming out in small but deep gasps which he tries to hide. He can't- can't- _can't _do this!

But he can't leave either. He already got Jamie and Sophie here and Pitch could attack them.

He wants them back...

Jack **_needs_** them back, but why was he so sacred? He didn't know what to do and everything was-

"_It seems like the whole world is turning its back on you  
That must be what you are feeling._"

Hearing her... At hearing his mom's voice, the slight tremble in it, Jack stiffened. His body rigid, but he did not dare to look up.

"_But while you sigh,  
Stop your crying  
Because I am here._"

They were. They are here. Having a hard time breathing past the painful lump in his throat, Jack shook his head, still downwards. God, he wanted them back. He needs them, but if he looks up and it's a trick-

"_I'm here for you  
Just open your eyes and see  
I'm here in front of you_"

So open his eyes he did. Slowly he looked up, finally looking at Tooth and North. Tooth had both hands folded against her chest, as if to keep herself from falling apart. There were tears misting her amethyst eyes.

And Jack knows why it's so damn horrible when Tooth cries, it's not just because Tooth is a wonderful person and doesn't deserve to be made upset, but because there is _**nothing**_ in the world that's worse than seeing your mom cry. And he made her cry...

_"And I'm looking, I'm looking  
Straight at you_"  
_I'm here next to you  
Just put out your hand_"

Tooth paused fighting of a sob that wrecked through her body. She held out a shaking hand.

_"And I'll warm it for you._"

Carefully Jack takes a step forward. It's a small one, cautious and he almost took it back had North not spoken up.

North kneeled down, just like his wife he extended his hand to Jack. "It is alright, moy mal'ch'ik."

So Jack took another tiny step forward, and another-then he was running. Running to them, falling to his knees when he finally-_finally _reached them.

Arms wrapping around him, clinging to him with all their might. Jack hugging back just as tight afraid they'd disappear and he'd forget again. Tears, crying and hysterical sobbing, the other crying silently, thanking every deity he knew in his native tongue.

"Oh my Sweet Tooth!" Toothiana sobbed running her fingers through her little prince's snow-white hair, crying and planting kisses all over his head. "My beautiful-wonderful Sweet Tooth." The strong warrior queen- _mother!-_ sobbed. "Please don't you ever leave again!"

Jack's crying too, tears are running and freezing over pale cheeks like frozen waterfalls. "I-I'm so s-s-sorry mama." The 314-year-old child sobbed burying his head against his mother's feathered chest. "I missed you s-s-s-o m-much"

North was still thanking every deity he knew, gods, spirits, Manny everyone got a thank you and prayer in Russian. On his knees, hugging his wife and his son close North is thankful for so many things.

So thankful that there really are no words to ever come close to expressing it. "Moy mal'ch'ik..." And Jack turns to him, eyes shining. "Velcome back my boy." He whispered. Large blue eyes that saw so much wonder(now more than ever), were full with tears, and Nicolas St. North -king of bandits- did not care.

Teary eyed Jack smiled a watery smile. "Love you dad."

**Author: This turned out longer than I expected so there's one more chapter left.**


	16. Just think one happy thought

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch16: Just think one happy thought.

Jamie sniffled, he wasn't crying, really. Watching Jack be reunited with... His parents. It was like something that happened in the soap operas his mom watched. It was really touching. Even Sophie was watching the reunion with a big awed smile on her face while distractedly stroking the Easter Bunny's fur.

The thing is that there's only so long children can stay quiet. Jamie to, especially considering the people he was with. "So... Santa's your dad?"

Jack took a moment to compose himself, scrubbing frozen tears from his cheeks, before turning to Jamie a bright smile on the winter spirit's face. "Why else do you think they call him father Christmas?" He smiled looking up at North who still had an arm around him. North beamed down at his son.

"And the Tooth fairy?" Jamie continued, he didn't sound too disbelieving, after all he just witnessed their reunion. "She's your mom?"

Looking at Tooth who still held on to him and then back to Jamie, nodding proudly. "Yep."

"...And they're together?"

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but North beat him to the punch. "Of course!" The Russian stated loud and proud while looking at his wife. "How can I not love this angel?"

Giggling quietly and trying to muffle the sound with her hand, Tooth looked her husband over. "Big and intimidating on the outside..." She drawled. "But a big teddy on the inside." She assured with a playful wink.

Deciding to let his parents do... _that stuff,_ Jack walked closer to the sleigh where Jamie and Sophie stood. Sophie sitting on the ground content with stroking little Bunny's fur. Jack stopped himself just in time from blurting out 'so this is what happens when you lose nearly all your believers' instead he got out a quiet "Oh.. no."

Bunny smiled at him, a small but genuine happy smile showing his relief. "Good ta have ya back with us Jackie."

"Aww... you do ca-" Jack stopped himself- confident smirk not working. "Good to be back." He quietly replied with a small ridiculously grateful smile on his pale face and there's no denying that fact.

The winter child had to remind himself that it was okay, no need to keep his defenses up. A task easier said than done. It would take more than just gaining his memories to get rid of 300 years of self-taught instincts.

Jack's line of thought and North and Tooth's moment is ruined by the sound of thunder, they all looked up to see Pitch surrounded by dark clouds staring down at them from atop a writhing huge mass of nightmare sand. All around him were hundreds of nightmares.

Eyes narrowing Jack walked over to where he abandoned his staff and picked it up, nails digging into the wood. He looked up where Pitch was, high in the sky.

Tooth did _not _like the look on his face. "Jack-"

"Get Jamie and Sophie out of here!" Jack ordered before taking flight, heading towards Pitch.

Wings flapping frantically Tooth chewed her lower lip when she didn't fly. No believe. Grunting, sh was about to run forward stopping when North touched her shoulder. "Nicholas?" She quietly asked looking at her husband.

North shook his head his expression grim. They needed to let Jack try. They had no power and right now Jack was their only hope.

**-ROTG-**

Pitch Black's yellow eyes flashed dangerously when he saw Jack fly towards him. How many times did that child have die before he stayed gone. "Jack Frost!" the boogeyman snarled "Lets end this, shall we?"

Grunting in effort Jack send a blast of ice and frost from his staff, that glowed a bright blue glow, at Pitch as he barrels towards him. Like before the ice would freeze the black sand and Pitch would plummet to the ground.

It didn't go like that this time. The icy attack easily got absorbed by Pitch's nightmare sand. "That little trick doesn't work on me anymore." Pitch said in low, but yet somehow loud voice. The nightmare king charged forward sending a wave of nightmare sand at the boy, knocking him out of the sky.

**-ROTG-**

"Quick! This way, this way!"

Even with these tiny legs Bunny was still the fastest of them, though that was all because one of his comrades was not used to being on her feet and running and the other was feeling his age for the first time ever. Right behind him Jamie was dragging little Sophie with him. This was not the best get away.

It didn't get any better when he led them to them down an alley. Crikey "Dead end. Other way, other way!" Aster was about to lead them the other way when they all heard a dull thud.

They turned around just in time to see Jack roll of the dumpster, landing facedown on the concrete.

"Jack!" Jamie and Tooth cried out.

Again Bunny was the fastest of them, reaching Jack's side just a second before Tooth, and North who were followed by Jamie and Sophie.

"That was good try Jack," North complimented, it was sad to say that Jack, the least experienced in fighting the nightmare king had gotten more good hits than all of them combined. "A for effort." The large Russian patted Jack's back trying to help him back to his feet only to push him back down by accident.

"Jack hurt?" Sophie whimpered chewing her lower lip watching Jack, tears filling her bright green eyes.

For her sake Jack forced a smile on his face though it looked more like a grimace so he turned his head to his parents- and part of him would never get over that little fact. He had parents. Never would or could he take that for granted. "He's stronger. I can't beat him."

At his words North and Tooth traded looks of concern. There wasn't anything left to do... They'd protect the last believers with everything they had. Strength or not strength, flight or no flight. They would go down together... That they were reunited with their son was-was their final blessing.

A menacing chuckle alerted them all of Pitch drawing closer. The Guardians kept a watchful eye as shadow streaks across the alley, gliding across the brick walls and the floor.

"All this fuss over two little kids." Pitch's silky voice purred. "And still they refuse to stop believing."

A harsh crack of thunder reveals the shadow of approaching nightmares as the sounds of hooves clack against the ground echoes from the opposite end of the alley.

Tooth huffed and took a deep breath to calm herself- calm the anger that welled up inside of her, naturally the nightmare king would be accompanied by thunder and lightning and right now her anger is directed at the person controlling the thunder. Of course Seraphina would help Pitch with this form of show.

Nothing but show.

"Very well." Pitch's voice came from the blackness that was the shadow. "There are other ways to snuff out a light." Light bulbs started bursting as a shadowy arm moved across the remaining light in the alley. Slowly like a poisonous snake, the hand slithered closer to them.

Terror filled Jamie's eyes. What does that mean? Swallowing he pulled Sophie closer to him by her shoulders.

Growling Bunny ran forward spreading his little arms as to be a barricade between Pitch, his family and the last two lights. "If you want them, you're gonna have to go through me!"

In his normal form this wouldn't even seem like much, him standing in front of the giant mass of shadows. Now in his little un-masculine, cute form... Well...

Pitch laughed genuinely. Finger raised, the shadow arm glides along the floor, curling around Bunny's back. "Look how fluffy you are! Would you like a scratch behind the ears?" The nightmare king _cooed_.

The shadow against his back felt cold, not Jack's kind of cold, but frightening cold, a cold that came accompanied by memories of dead bodies and burning villages and a planet decaying. Bunny released a small wet gasp and jumped back into North's arms. "Don't you even think about it!" He cried trying to keep as much as his dignity.

But when Pitch came into view, riding atop Onyx, a gleeful smile strewn on his face Bunny knows the shade had felt his fear.

"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you all like this." His voice alone held so much gleeful delight. "You look awful."

They did, and still the guardians stood in front of Jamie and Sophie shielding them, and still protecting them.

Eyes on the boogeyman for a long scary moment before Jamie turned Jack and softly admitting what he hadn't really been till now. "Jack, I'm scared."

Jack knelt down in front of Jamie and Sophie about to assure them that everything would be alright. He didn't know how this could turn out alright, but it _would_.

He didn't get a word out.

Instead his dad's voice echoed through his head.

'_Of course you have center __moy mal'ch'ik. You just have to find it!_'

Jack no longer saw Jamie, instead he saw little Emma Overland standing above frozen, cracking ice looking at him with wide frightened eyes."Jack," She whimpered "I'm scared."

"It's gonna be okay." Jack assured smiling at her trying to install confidence when it was needed. "you're gonna be alright-"

Jack blinked coming back to the present, back in the alley in front of very frightened Jamie and Sophie. Again he blinked, eyes wide with realization. "We're gonna have a little fun, instead." He breathed out, shocked displayed his face. "That's it. That's my center."

Jamie gave Jack a questioning look. He wanted to ask what Jack had in mind, but his eyes were drawn to Pitch as the boogeyman got closer and addressed him.

"So what do you think, Jamie? Do you believe in the Boogiema-"

BOOF!

Suddenly a snowball hit Pitch in the face, right on his left cheek. Two of Pitch's nightmares looked at each, unsure how to react.

The black horses are the only ones doubting how to react. Jamie can't help but snicker, Sophie's jumping up and down giggling, North lets out a chuckle and Tooth covered her mouth to muffle her quiet giggles while Bunny grinned.

Jack looked around the alley a grin splitting his face when spots a wooden crate, a

trash can lid and a discarded wok amidst a pile of trash. He turned to Jamie, his confident smirk right in place. "Now let's go get your friends."

Once Pitch wiped the snow from his face and fought down the urge to throw a snowball back at the winter prince, once he no longer feels giddy he looks up to see a track of ice leading out of the alleyway. Jack, Jamie and the Guardians are gone.

**-ROTG-**

Jack laughed frosting over a major part of the road so everyone could go over it on their makeshift sleds. Sophie with North on the wooden crate, Tooth on the trash bin lid and Bunny in the wok pan. Jack carried Jamie with ease, something that surprised the boy and guardians. Not that Jack could lift him but that Jack didn't even have any trouble doing it at all.

Even Bunny couldn't stop his laughter, well most of it was laughter... the rest panicked gasps and cries. They are all scared and thrilled, but they're having fun.

"Yeah!" Jack cheered flying up higher. "Come on!"

**-ROTG-**

In her room Cupcake lay in her bed, terrified and wide awake, how could she sleep if every time she closed her eyes all she had were nightmares? Prepared for yet another night laying awake she turned to her side only to bolt up when she heard something connect to her window.

Cupcake pulled her covers down and walked over to the window, a smile formed on her face when she saw a gentle snowfall outside. Gentle, pretty fun snow and was that the Tooth fairy?!

**-ROTG-**

It's snowing.

It's snowing in her room! Mouth open in shock Pippa got up, reaching forward she gasped quietly when she caught a few snowflakes in her hand. When Pippa heard someone knock on her window- knock on her window on the second floor of the house, she walked over to look outside.

With a gasp Pippa jumped back when she saw Jamie floating- flying outside her window.

To be sure that her friend was _actually_ flying Pippa threw her window open and looked down.

No ladder.

"Jamie, how are you doing that?!" Pippa gasped then winced hoping her parents hadn't heard. No way was she going to be send to bed now! Jamie's flying!

And Jamie answered like this was normal. "Jack Frost! Come on, we need your help!" And he flew of again.

No Jamie didn't fly of. A snowflake landed on her nose and Pippa made a face. When she looked outside again she saw it. Jamie _wasn't_ flying. Jamie was being carried by a white-haired teenage boy with no shoes on.

"Is, is that-?" Pippa got her answer when she spotted Monty look out of the window of the house next door.

"It's Jack Frost!" The glass wearing nine-year old cheered. The twins were already outside, Caleb zipping up his jacket and following his brother.

But really Pippa's eyes weren't on them. No, her caramel colored eyes were on the people sledging across the frozen road. "Merry Christmas!"

Santa Claus

And was that Jamie's little sister on the large man's lap, squealing in excitement?

The next one, cute and in a wok pan.

"Happy Easter!"

Easter Bunny

And then a feathered woman with beautiful wings.

Tooth Fairy

Pippa blinked, and then she beamed. Jamie was right!

**-ROTG-**

Jack, the Guardians, Jamie, Sophie, Cupcake, Pippa and the twins, all came to gliding halt on their sleds. They look up to see Pitch standing atop of a building with a confident smile, while the clouds stir behind him.

Monty, late to the party, came running joyously past Jamie and the Guardians who stood in silence as they stared up at the sky. The little boy still in party mode. That is untill he finally saw the nightmare king and made a U-turn running back to the group, past Tooth who instantly reached for him.

Above them, the nightmare king was not impressed. "You think a few children can help you?" In fact Pitch felt rather insulted. Did they really believe he'd be beaten by _them_? "Against this!" The nightmare sand tidal wave formed as Pitch spread his ars controlling the mass of black sand.

They had to fight! Had to protect! North drew his sword, but the weight of the blade only managed to pull him down.

This wasn't fun anymore... Sophie backed away pressing her back against Tooth's legs. "B-Bunny?"

The small rabbit stood in front of them all and turned to her a reassuring smile on his fluffy mug. "Don't ya worry, we'll protect you, sheila."

And despite Bunny's size or the size of the tsunami of nightmare sand under the Nightmare king's control, Sophie believed him. She smiled and nodded, because she _believed_. And nothing is as pure and bright as a child's belief. And Sophie believed.

Of course Pitch planned on doing something about _that_. "Aww, you'll protect them." He cooed at Bunny's 'tough-ness'. "But who will protect you?"

Heart racing Jack glanced at North and Tooth behind him, he just got them back! Pitch couldn't take them! Couldn't take them away! There had to be something to stop him...

He needed to do something and Jack knew what.

Pitch... Pitch wanted him to join him. The same thing the boogeyman wanted from him when he attacked him when he was young. A fearling prince.

If Jack gave him that, than maybe Pitch would take that as enough of a victory and leave the guardians out of it.

So Jack took a step forward, ready to give himself up for everything else. He didn't see his dad furiously shake his head and trying to grab him and pull him back to safety.

But before Jack could say anything Jamie took a step forward standing next to Jack looking so, so very determined. "I will."

And that action was all that needed to remind Jamie's friends that they to could be brave and face fear.

Cupcake pushed through the group and by the look on her face, the girl was ready for battle. "I will." She said once she was half a step behind, where Jack and Jamie were standing in front of everyone.

They used to be afraid of Cupcake, she was big and strong so they avoided her... Un till two days ago, when they had the most epic snowball fight ever and they discovered how fun playing with Cupcake was. Fear had stopped them from befriending an awesome girl. That's what fear did and they didn't want it anymore.

"I will!" Caleb declared proudly standing besides Cupcake followed seconds later by his twin Claude. "I will!"

Pippa nodded moving to stand amongst her friends in front of the guardians. "And me."

Last was Monty, the youngest of the group of friends and right now the most reluctant. "I-I'll try."

Everyone was quiet, the children and Jack looking at the sky awaiting Pitch's attack while the guardians where too shocked to say anything. They should protect the children, not the other way around! They wanted to protest.

Pitch wasn't impressed, seven children less to fear him in a world dominated by fear wouldn't make a difference... "Still think there's no such thing as the boogeyman?" He sneered letting his wave of nightmare sand snake its way through town causing destruction everywhere it touched, concrete breaking, car windows shattering and lightbulbs bursting as it went straight towards the kids.

"I do believe in you." Jamie quietly said, his gaze on the fast approaching darkness. He's aware that Jack kneeled down besides him. "I'm just not afraid of you."

Jack thrust his hand forward and Jamie did the same. Neither the two afraid.

Jack thought of snowballs and fun times. Of little fairies that come in the night, lights in trees, chocolate eggs left for you in the morning and sweet adventures that could only happen while you were asleep.

_Fun, memories, wonder, hope and dreams._

_Fun, memories, wonder, hope and dreams._

_Fun, memories, wonder, hope and dreams._

And when the tidal wave of nightmare sand was about to envelop them, when it made contact with Jack and Jamie's hands, the black sand burst into bright golden dream sand.

**Author: Don't worry I have the ending ready. I'll post it on Wednesday.**


	17. Damaged, but not broken

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG

Ch17: Damaged, but not broken.

"Wow..." Jamie breathed along with his friends, all amazed by the beauty of the dreamsand.

Tooth too is awed, Sandy's work always had been beautiful. Somehow the children, by being brave enough to face fear, they changed the nightmare sand into dream sand. The fairy queen's wings buzzed with excitement and to her utter surprise and delight she took flight, fluttering with renewed energy.

And she's laughing, because now Pitch would get what's coming for him. Later Seraphina to.

She's not the only one with renewed energy.

A trail of dreamsand circled North and the ex-bandit's eyes widened when he felt his energy returning. His cheeks rosy again, the Russian laughed a deep belly laugh. Time to put that shade back in the shadows!

The Russian reached deep into his pockets, pulling out two snow globes and smashing them to ground opening two portals where his yetis and elves came running through, all prepared for battle.

"Come my loyal friends," He ordered, voice loud and booming. "prishlo vremya borot'sya za to, chto my verim v!" And with that last order out North unsheathed his sabers and charged forward slicing through a nightmare.

**-ROTG-**

NO! His beautiful nightmare sand! Pitch watched everything from the rooftop, his mind not comprehending that the golden dreamsand was once his powerful nightmare sand.

Yellow eyes narrowing Pitch summoned another dozen nightmares. "Do your jobs!" He bellowed to the black horses who all galloped towards the guardians, Jack and the children.

**-ROTG-**

Tooth and North had their strength back so that meant he was next. Bunny clenched his little paws looking down at his petite form. "Oh yeah, come on, come on! Co- Crickey!" Aster cried out when two nightmares started chasing him.

The little bunny rabbit ran away followed by the black stallions. He tried scurry away underneath a car only to snatched up by his tail.

Only when the horse pulled him out from underneath the car the pooka was back to his regular form. Bunny smirked, reaching for his boomerangs which magically returned to him. "G'day mate" the pooka greeted before delivering a kick to the nightmare's head, doing a flip in the air, and threw his boomerangs which sliced through two more Nightmares, turning them to dust.

Bunny drummed his foot on the ground two times, opening a tunnel where an army of sentinel eggs suddenly rose up from the earth.

"Whoa!" Caleb cried when he suddenly found himself riding on top of a stone egg golem which joined in the fight along with the yeti and elves.

A group of nightmares charged to the Cupcake, Pippa and Sophie only to stop in their tracks when none of the girls moved out of the way or showed any sign of fear.

"Ready Sophie?" Pippa asked the little girl who nodded, eyebrows lowered and a too eager grin on her young face. "Bad horse change." she said before laughing and running to the nightmares who sputtered in fear, their own fear for that little two-year old girl.

Sophie jumped up and hugged the nightmare's neck giggling when the nightmare became a pretty dream.

**-ROTG-**

Chaos, pure chaos. Pitch looked down at the chaotic fight, a dark smile on his face. He was no longer alone on this rooftop. He didn't need his control of the shadows to know that. The sudden chill behind him was enough to tell him who was there with him.

Whipping around Pitch formed a shield of nightmare sand around himself just in time to block the streak of frost Jack send his way.

**-ROTG-**

On the ground each guardian turned to look at the roof to when they heard cries, grunts and the sound of fight come from above. Tooth was flying towards that roof the moment she saw streaks of ice and frost being used.

Bunny tapped the ground opening a tunnel "All yours mate!" He told North before jumping into another tunnel himself.

**-ROTG-**

Rounding the corner of a chimney Jack ran into Pitch... Just not the way he wanted to.

The moment Pitch saw the winter child -son of memories and wonder- the nightmare king released a black arrow which would have hit Jack in the chest had the arrow not been deflected by Tooth who zipped by her wings buzzing so very fast she was easy to miss if you didn't look for her.

Jack let out a small laugh watching her slice through a couple of nightmares with her wings. "Thanks mom!"

"Any time Sweet Tooth!" Tooth chirped her voice light and happy. The mother wants to tell her son to 'be careful' or maybe even 'go hide! We'll take care of this' but Jack is not defenseless, and by the looks of it her little prince knew how to fight.

She can tell, just by the way he wielded his staff... Kendo, a form of martial arts using wooden staves as weapons, Jack must have picked up bringing snow to Japan. An honorable way of fighting.

Tooth should be troubled knowing how often Jack must have been close to her palace and never close enough for her to find him, but at the moment she's too proud of the fighter her Sweet Tooth became.

With a small smile on her face the queen shook her head, time to focus.

Bunny suddenly jumped out of the chimney where Jack was standing "Ho, ho, HO!" the pooka cried throwing his boomerangs which teared through the nightmares surrounding Pitch.

**-ROTG-**

North shot out of a rabbit hole, his swords ready. There just isn't... a fight going on.

Looking around he spotted his wife in the distance flying over a roof.

"Wrong roof." North said chuckling at his own mistake. For a moment his eyes lingered on the roof where the fight was taking place. Jack was jumping, dodging, gliding and sliding all over the place.

His jumps not by instinct as Bunnymund's, but perfected moves by years of practice all flawless. North recognized the moves his son was showing. He had seen acrobats move like this in a circus he had once visited in his time with the cossacks.

Parkour, a form of art that took years to perfect, something that required skill, endurance and persistance and absolute bravery for those moves could only be learned for those with nerves of steel.

Oh yes his boy, was all that.

**-ROTG-**

What was supposed to be his victory, his turn to be believed in, had changed into him once again hiding into the shadows.

Pitch, in attempt to avoid the guardians' attacks slipped into a shadow and slithered down to the ground by the side of the building. Only to be met halfway down by North who to jumped of the building.

Once landed in the alley on their feet, Pitch materializing a scythe of nightmare sand to meet North's swords.

**-ROTG-**

Streams of dream sand floating in the air, some floating towards each other and growing as one. When he realized that Jamie perked up.

A man... in his room, or near his window? Golden with a warm smile...

"I got it!" he cried earning himself confused looks from his friends and little sister. "I know what we have to do! Guys, come on!" With that said the ten-year old started running down the street towards the growing mass of golden sand.

**-ROTG-**

In the alley the guardians and Jack had Pitch surrounded and were advancing towards him. They had him now, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

"It's over Pitch!" Jack cried triumphantly. "There's no place to hide."

Giving them all a wry smile Pitch quickly descended into the shadows, casting multiple versions of himself along the alley walls.

With a sick sense of déjà vu Jack looked around, again Pitch is everywhere and yet nowhere. The others to look around the alley, trying to decipher wich silhouette of Pitch is the real one.

In their moment of distraction Pitch rose up from the wall behind Jack, his nightmare sand scythe clutched in his grey hands. You should never turn your back to the darkness. Time to end the one who ruined years, _centuries_ of hard work and planning. And this time Jack would stay dead.

When Bunny turned his emerald eyes grew wide with terror- "Jack, look out!" He saw it, North and Tooth saw it and when he turned around Jack saw the scythe coming, but there was no time to do anything!

The guardians looked on in horror as-

Suddenly a golden whip wrapped itself around Pitch's hands and pulled the nightmare king out of the alley right towards Sandy, coalescing from the funnel cloud of dreamsand.

The golden bringer of dreams gives Pitch a disapproving look, wags his finger, chiding the boogeyman for his bad behavior, and then uppercuts him into the air.

"Sandy..." Jack's shoulders slumped when he's no longer seconds away from being impaled by a scythe. He laughs when his mom throws herself at him, his sky blue eyes still on Sandy. Two 'not really deaths' in the span of three days...

Jack's not the only looking at the sandman. So are the children.

Sandy looked off to the side to where Jamie and his friends gathered and formed a little bowlhat on his head and tips the cap to Jamie. '_thank you_'

Gleefully Jamie did an army salute back to Sandy as his friends stand behind him in awe.

"Man, this is so cool!" Caleb voiced what they were all thinking. How often did you get to see Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost kick the Boogeyman's butt?

Sandy then looked back up at his whip and tugged on it, slamming Pitch out of the sky and onto the ground, the boogeyman out cold when he made a harsh return to the floor.

"Welcome back, old friend!" And if Sandy had a voice he would have laughed when North suddenly lifted him high over his head.

"Mate, you are a sight for sore eyes!" Bunny says, the relief shinning in his eyes.

Sandy smiled at all of them, his eyes then landed on Jack, the frost child grinning at him, his mom hovering in the air besides him, Tooth restraining herself from being all over the boy, her hands gripping his shoulders.

With a concerned look on his face, Sandy formed a question mark over his head looking at Jack, his lips pursed.

In reply Jack confidently leaned back, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course I remember you Sandy." He answered. "Who else taught me how to defeat the pirates?"

Getting the answer he hoped for Sandy beamed. Speaking of Peter Pan...

Sandy floated into the air, and shot streams of dreamsand in every direction. The children of the world had gotten nothing but nightmares for long enough.

Everywhere streaks of dreamsand went. Sweet dreams for everyone! Good or bad, naughty or nice.

Everyone watched Sandy work, everyone, even Tooth who could feel her mini-fairies regain their strength and start the process of returning the teeth back to the palace, some open the teeth containers reminding children everywhere of the good times. Reminding them of what mattered most.

The children where so caught up in watching the Sandman at work that they didn't notice the dreamsand creatures that had appeared around them, till a bright light caught Monty's attention.

A gigantic dreamsand Brontosaurus walked past their houses! So huge! "Yeah!" Monty cheered jumping up. That got all his friends' attention, they turned to look at the amazing dreamsand creatures.

Jamie stood there, gazing at a school of beautiful dreamsand fish 'swimming' in the air, in awe- right until a snowball hit the side of his head.

Blinking the short boy turned to look at Jack, a wide grin forming on his face when he saw the white-haired teenager toss up another snowball.

Laughing Jamie picked up a snowball and threw it at Pippa who gave an indignant shout when she got a face-full of snow. Naturally this meant war, and naturally everyone needed to be involved.

Feeling the same sense of pride he always got when he managed to get children to have fun, Jack stood on the sideline watching the children play. He didn't notice his dad standing besides him till the large Russian spoke up.

"Your center?" North questioned gesturing to the kids, elves, yeti and even some mini-fairies that just showed up, all playing in the snow.

Jack gave a small nod. "It took awhile," 300 years and three days to be exact. "but I figured it out."

North tossed Jack a small item, something he had meant to give the boy for his fourteenth birthday, the year Jack drowned.

Automatically catching the item Jack looked at it in his open palm, it's a Russian nesting doll in him image, blue hoodie, white hair and grin on its' pale face that promised 'snowballs and funtimes'.

"Had to do little re-painting." North told Jack making the boy turn bis attention back to him. The Jack's are wet showing so much gratefulness that it hurt, but _father_ Christmas doesn't say anything of it and playfully winks at his son.

The moment got ruined when a snowball hit North, right in his face. The ex-bandit shook his head getting rid of the snow and looked around seeing the twins with guilty looks on their faces. Both boys quickly pointed at an elf, who in turn pointed a finger at each twin.

For a moment North let them worry before bursting out in rich loud laughter. "You're all on naughty list." He laughed. Nicolas bent down and gathered enough snow to form a large snowball. "Bunny," He yelled to the pooka who was walking towards Sophie a few feet away. "think fast!" North cried throwing the snowball with such force it knocked the pooka of his feet upon impact.

And the best of it was that Bunny laughed it off. Laughed and went to help Sophie form a snowball.

On the road Pitch groaned in pain as he slowly came to. Sitting up his yellow eyes widened in horror when he saw the dreamsand creatures, snowballs flying, thrown by elves, mini-fairies and yetis playing.

"No." The Boogeyman whispered to himself. He whipped around only to see the kids, all having the time of their lives- no fear- not even in the slightest! All their delicious fear replaced with fun!

Pitch got up, body shaking with rage as he get closer to them. "You dare have fun in my presence!" He screamed at them, his scream loud and low, the scream known to send the bravest of children crying for their mothers. "I am the Boogeyman! AND YOU WILL FEAR ME!"

He lunged at Jamie who came running toward him, his hands outstretched as if he's going to grab him by the throat. But Jamie runs right through him, laughing, joyous.

Joy-

Not fear.

It's over.

"Noooo!" Pitch gasped out fighting the urge to wrap his arms around his torso, fight the ache that comes with being walked through. Realizing that he no longer has any power left only made it all hurt more.

"No." His voice is quieter this time. He has no power over the children. So when Pitch saw the guardians approaching he took of, fleeing into the forest.

Pitch ran through the shadows in terror, not looking where he was going and tus stumbling and tripping over his feet and over his robe. Again he tripped over his own robe, crashing through trees and bushes of the forest, and landed onto the ice of the pond.

Scrambling back up Pitch continued to run- only to smack into North's round belly falling on his behind on the cold ice of the frozen lake. When he looked up Pitch saw North smiling down at him.

"Leaving the party so soon?" North asks, there should be burning hot anger in his voice. Anger for everything Pitch had done, instead he sounds amused. Amused because he knows his wife and knows what she's about to do.

Tooth's hovering in the air a little bit in front of North. "You didn't even say goodbye." Her voice is unusually low and she's practically purring- or chirping from deep within her throat. Her feathers are puffed up as she tosses something to Pitch who easily caught it. Just like he is meant to.

Pitch blinked in surprise while looking down at his palm, a silver coin. "A quarter?" He asked in disgust at the gift from the Tooth fairy.

He looked back up, seeing nothing but a fist right before he got punched right on his jaw.

A single tooth flew out of Pitch's mouth, skittering across the ice.

"Please send my regards to Seraphina when you see her again Kozmotis." Tooth said dusting over her hands, her voice cold. "It would not be right to leave her out of _my_ fun."

Scowling Pitch got his feet. Just wait. When he was back at his full strength he'd rip each and every feather of the smug warrior queen's body. "You can't get rid of me!" He cried looking at each of the guardians, mad with rage and- and something else. "Not forever! There will always be fear!"

Yet all he got was North boldly crossing his arms over his broad chest. "So what?" The bandit challenged. Just like the first time. "As long as one child believes, we will be here to fight fear!"

That's when Pitch spotted his nightmares. Dozens of black sand horses emerging from the woods. "Really?" He cackled. "Then what are they doing here?"

It's eerie, the black horses in the woods, their manes blowing in the wind. It's terrifying, but the guardians seem unphased.

North smiled looking over at Jack and sending his son a reassuring wink. "They can't be my nightmares, I'm not afraid."

And Jack understood. "Looks like it's your fear they smell." He told Pitch taking a bold step forward as if to mock the king with his fearlessness.

Realizing it was the truth, Pitch's eyes grew huge with terror when the nightmares moved in on him. He began to back away, but the Nightmares picked up speed as they charged towards him.

"Ahhh, no...AAAAAHHHHHH!" Pitch screamed, trying to run away, but it's impossible to get his footing on the ice. He falters, and is swept up in the stampede of nightmares.

The streaks of black whip and latch themselves onto Pitch as the black cloud carries him through the forest. Dragging him through to forest despite the once mighty king's struggles and screams. "No, no, nooooooo!"

The mass of black sand pulled him deep into the forest, under the frame of the broken bed, and back down into the dark depths of the underground.

The last thing Pitch saw before the darkness completely enveloped him is the moon shinning down on him. The moon mocking him.

The same moon, pale and faint as the night makes way for morning, the moon oddly close and welcoming, is what Jack smiles at.

Jack hears Tooth laugh and turns to find North, Tooth, Bunny and Sandy, their faces shining with pride. The frost child didn't get a chance to say anything, because suddenly Tooth's hugging him.

Her hand cups his face and her smile is loving. "I am so proud of you my little prince." Tooth quietly told him tightening their hug.

"Moya sem'ya." North addressed his family. Tooth and Jack turned to him to see a dark brown yeti standing besides North carrying a large book and the fanfare of elves standing around his and Bunny's feet.

"Are you ready now, Jack?" North asked when the yeti handed him the book of guardians. Really Jack would have alway become a guardian, but this was- "To make it official."

Sandy and Bunny share a boastful look. Jack, their Jack becoming a guardian is something that had been written in the stars the day the boy was born, and now almost 314 years later and it's finally happening.

From the town Jamie, Sophie and their friends all quietly came walking towards them all carefull to not fall on the ice. As if they all seemed to sense what was about to happen.

"Then is time you take Oath." North said opening the book flipping through several pages. The old cossack took a small moment, his large blue eyes fixed on his son. "Will you, Jack Frost..." He started, voice quiet(as quiet as his baritone booming voice got)

"vow to watch over the children of the world? To guard them with your life -their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams? For they are all that we have, all that we are and all that we will ever be."

The question, big and life changing.

Jack took a second to look back at Jamie and Sophie, the first children ever to believe in him, in Jack Frost nor Jack st. North son of the bandit king and the queen of the tooth fairies.

Taking a small breath to ease himself he looked back at North and nodded, sealing it. "I will."

"Then congratulations, Jack Frost, for you are now- and forever more a Guardian." He finished loud and so immensely happy.

Recognising the moment for what it was Jamie and the kids erupted in loud cheers as do the Yetis, mini-fairies, elves and sentinel Eggs.

Sandy pumped his fist in the air in a cheer, the action speaking volumes. Bunny clapped, a proud grin on his face. "Good job mate!" He complimented. "Good job!"

"That's my Sweet Tooth!" Tooth proudly told all her mini-fairies, her wings vibrating with excitement as she moved in the air too happy to stop herself. Each of her mini-fairies cooed and cheered for the teeth prince, none of them cheering as loud as Baby Tooth.

"Klasno!" North yelled as he picked Jack up and gave him a bone-crushing bear-hug, and kissed the boy on both cheeks.

Jack winces, even in his memories his dad's hugs were like that. And that's more than enough reason to smile.

"Jack! You did it Jack! Wooo!" Monty cheered dancing with joy, this followed by him having to push his large glasses back up before they fell of his nose.

"Yay!" Sophie cheered jumping up and down while clapping her little hands. "Jack! Jack! Jack!"

"You're in the Guardians! Yeah!" Cupcake cried throwing her fist up in the air in form of celebration.

Pippa clasped her hands together beaming. "Jack! Yay!" She cheered. "Yeah! You earned it!"

"Awesome! You did it Jack!" Claude said giving Jack a thumbs up.

Caleb was about to follow his twin's example when he something fly... a military vehicle? No, it's pulled by twelve reindeer. Mouth hanging open the elven-year-old pointed to the sleigh and cried "You guys, look!"

"That's Santa's sleigh." Pippa breathed when the vehicle landed on the ice, the sentinel eggs darting away to avoid getting crushed by the reindeer's hooves.

"It's real. That is wicked!" The children all awed and oohed staring at the sleigh. "Wow! Look at that! So totally insane!"

There is a time to admit defeat and that is now. Bunny shot North a wry smile. "Everyone loves the sleigh."

Chuckling before he turned away from his long time friend, North put his hand on Jack's

shoulder. "Time to go."

As the kids look on in wonder, Sandy flew up in the air and threw his hands up creating a shower of dreamsand, which drifts down on the children. All of them backed away from the sleigh to get a better view of the dreamsand made fireworks.

Meanwhile, Bunny had grouches down on the snow and handed Sophie a bright colored easter egg, green with happy yellow daisies. "Happy Easter ya little anklebiter." He said leaning into her touch when the toddler patted his nose. "I'm gonna miss ya." He quietly told her.

"Bye, bye, bunny." Sophie whispered carefully getting up and giving the large six-foot-one pooka a hug to say goodbye.

Watching his baby sister and the Easter Bunny's touching exchange Jamie realized what's about to happen and quickly made his way to Jack. "You're leaving? But, what if Pitch comes back?"

He's wistful and worried. This is the coolest thing that ever happened to him. What if he wakes tomorrow and it didn't happen? Or what if- "What if we stop believing again? If I can't see you-" He stopped talking when Jack, smiling softly, kneeled down and looked him in the eye.

"Hey, hey, slow down, slow down." Jack chided his smile unwavering and his voice gentle. "You're telling me you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes up?

A weird question and Jamie has to think of answer. Never had he really thought about it. "No."

"Okay," Jack continued. "well do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it out?"

"No" Because Jamie knew the sun was there, he didn't need proof. The sun was always ther- oh. Jamie smiled realizing that had been what Jack meant about belief.

Jack's smile widened just about when he saw his believer get the point. "We'll always be there, Jamie." the way he said it made it sound like a promise, and that's what it was. A vow. An oath. "And now...we'll always be here." Jack grinned playfully poking Jamie's chest in the area where the boy's heart is. "Which kind of makes you a Guardian too."

When Jamie smiled Jack knew he had done it. The frosted youth got back up and started making his way to the sleigh. Finally, after so long he could go home.

Glancing at his friends Jamie sees them all starting yawn and rub their. "I'm sleepy." He hears his sister say. That's what they got for standing in the dreamsand. They'd fall asleep, all of them.

But Jamie knew he wouldn't forget. Never.

"Jack!" Jamie cried and ran over to the sleigh, the moment Jack turned around the boy wrapped his arms around Jack,only reaching up Jack's middle.

Jack froze, for a split moment the winter child is terrified. Children run through him. Children always run through him. Jamie doesn't, because Jamie believes.

Closing his eyes Jack smiled and returned the hug. The warm, caring and most definitely worth the wait. North yanked the reins and they took off, for once the flight calm. Once in the air Jack and the Guardians look down, watching the kids waving back at them assured that their helpers would get all the children back home.

Smiling Jack moved to the back of the sleigh to sit down besides Bunny who for once is calm during the flight. The large rabbit smiled and ruffled the naturally messy white hair.

Sandy turned to them, the golden man held his palms against each other and made a small bow, a sign of respect to their new recruit, he then, when Jack is about to say something, threw a small ball of dreasand in Jack's face. After everything Jack deserved a nice long nap and experience told that Jack would be to excited to fall asleep naturally.

Withing seconds the youth was fast asleep, pale cheek resting against Bunny's furry shoulder.

In the front of the sleigh Tooth and North sat together, each of them shooting glances at the back to the sleigh to assure themselves that they really had their son back.

Their little odd family was damaged, but by the stars it wasn't broken.

Tooth clung to North's arm, her death grip never loosening. "Nicholas." She whispered not sure if her husband heard her or not. She did feel him shift, "I love you, don't doubt me again." She quietly ordered him as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"And I love you, angel moy" North replied voice soft and gentle "always."

* * *

_In the end all children grow up,_

_all except two._

_Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up._

_and_

_Jack Frost, the boy who never got the chance to. _

* * *

**Author: Cheesy ending is cheesy. I'm not a 100 percent happy with how this turned out, perhaps I'll edit it in the future... Oh well. **

**Translations:  
**_prishlo vremya borot'sya za to, chto my verim v!_= let us fight for what we believe in!  
_M__oya sem'ya _= My family.

**That's it folks it's over. A major thank you to everyone who favorited followed and reviewed, you are all awesome! I hope you like the (mostly) open ending.**


	18. Sequel Alert

**This isn't a chapter, I just wanted to let you all know that there now is a sequel to this titled 'Tales of the Royal Family'. It's a collection of one-shots and arcs set before, after and during Little Prince.**


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